Android’s long-awaited desktop mode is finally coming for Android 16 and Google gave a preview during its I/O developer keynote. It was developed in conjunction with Samsung, which is logical given Samsung’s previous experience with DeX. DeX launched on the Galaxy S8 Series back in 2017. In the video below, we got a sneak peek at the upcoming desktop user interface around 20:55.
Android native desktop mode is similar to ChromeOS with a row pinned apps in a taskbar at the bottom. Google’s first party apps such as Gmail, Chrome and Google Photos are all lined up.
Android desktop mode
The desktop mode will have “enhanced windows” and Google has confirmed that adaptive apps for desktop mode, Android Automotive, and Android XR will automatically scale.
