Google's Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 comes with native desktop mode for external displays

Google released Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, which introduces a developer preview of native desktop support for external displays. Connecting a phone or a foldable to a monitor via DisplayPort now launches an independent desktop session. A taskbar appears on the external screen, listing active apps and allowing users to pin them. Users can resize windows, run apps side by side, and keep their phone usable, even while the monitor runs a separate desktop.

If a tablet with desktop windowing connects to an external display, Android spans the desktop across both screens. You can drag windows, the cursor, or content between screens. You get a larger workspace without toggling into any special mode.

This preview builds on last year’s early windowing work. Android 16’s stable desktop windowing supports flexible tiling and multiple desktops you can switch between using keyboard shortcuts or gestures .

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oogle and Samsung collaborated to smooth out the experience for phones and tablets. The update integrates with Samsung DeX but doesn’t require Samsung hardware. It extends Android’s multitasking toolkit with true desktop sessions on all connected monitors.

App makers now have tools to take advantage of connected displays. They can design interfaces that adapt not just to screen size, but also to whether the display is a monitor or handheld device.

Developers can test this today. The feature is live in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 build for select Pixel phones. It will expand to tablets later this year .

In practical terms, Android devices begin to feel more like laptops or desktop PCs. This marks a clear shift: Android is shifting mode-less, compact fluidity into new frontiers of productivity. The debut is solid, but true polish will come after gathering feedback from early users.

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