Google released the first beta of Android Q yesterday, and as expected, there are a bunch of major features. And although Google already listed some of the new features, it is yet to officially mention some of the hidden features. One of that includes a new desktop mode we wrote about earlier in the year.

As noticed by Michael Young on Twitter, Android Q has a new option that allows users to force desktop mode. And when connected to an external monitor, you will be able to use the new desktop mode with your Android phone. The feature works much like Samsung DeX and Microsoft’s Continuum on Windows Phone, but it’s a lot more limited for the time being.

Keep in mind, this is only the first beta of Android Q, so that’s not a surprise at all.

XDA Developers reports that the experimental desktop mode enables freefrom multi-windows, allowing users to open apps and move them around however they like. For now, though, the interface itself is just scaled to work on bigger displays and there isn’t much of a difference on the actual UI. So for example, you can only add app shortcuts to the desktop and nothing else. The navigation bar still shows up at the bottom, and the status bar is still at the top. So yes, Google has a lot of work to do for this to feel anything like an actual desktop mode.

If you are on Android Q, you can find out how to enable the new desktop mode here.

Tagged with Android Q, Desktop Mode