How I turned my Pixel phone into a genuinely productive desktop computer - for free

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Pixel 8 and newer phones present person entree to Desktop Mode.
Android Desktop Mode turns your telephone into a full-blown desktop experience.
You'll request an outer monitor, a USB mouse, and a keyboard.

More than a decennary ago, Canonical was moving connected what it called "desktop convergence." The thought was to harvester a mobile instrumentality with a desktop instrumentality to make thing acold much useful.

Back then, it was a quaint thought with astonishing possibilities. Now, however, it has adjacent much compelling implications.

According to Pew Research, 98% of Americans ain a smartphone. That aforesaid study concludes that astatine slightest 16% of Americans are "smartphone-only" users. In different words, 1 successful six Americans owns neither a desktop nor a laptop machine and depends solely connected their telephone for online activity, productivity, and entertainment.

Also: The latest Pixel Drop arrives with 8 utile upgrades for your Android telephone - what's new

That's an important figure. And arsenic idiosyncratic who's attempted -- arsenic an experimentation -- to bash without a desktop computer, I find it the smartphone-only attack to beryllium astir arsenic productive arsenic utilizing a stone to chopped butter. I beryllium connected my desktops and laptops. For one, my mobile typing skills are abysmal. Also, I beryllium connected moving with aggregate apps astatine the aforesaid time, and nary substance however hard smartphones try, they're not precise bully astatine multitasking.

So, erstwhile Canonical announced its program to alteration connecting a telephone to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, essentially turning it into a desktop, I was each for it.

Unfortunately, Canonical failed miserably astatine convergence. The institution simply couldn't deliver, and soon aft dropped the Unity interface altogether.

Fast guardant to Samsung and DeX, different instrumentality connected mobile/desktop convergence. Samsung had a large idea, and boy, did it deliver. You get a full-blown desktop mode that is seamless and casual to use. The Samsung devices that enactment DeX include:

Samsung Galaxy S phones: Galaxy S8, S9, S10, S20, S21, S22, S23 and S24 series
Samsung Galaxy Note phones: Galaxy Note 8, Note 9, Note 10, and Note 20 series
Samsung foldables: Galaxy Z Fold, Fold 2, Fold 3, Fold 4, Fold 5, and Fold 6
Samsung Galaxy tablets: Galaxy Tab S4, S6, S7, S8, and S9 series
Samsung Galaxy A-series phones: Galaxy A90 5G

But what astir Pixel telephone users?

If you inactive agelong for desktop convergence and you ain a Pixel 8 telephone oregon newer, you're successful luck; the latest Pixel drop brings a desktop mode to Android -- and it is very, precise good.

What is Android Desktop mode?

Android Desktop Mode is simple: Connect your Pixel 8 oregon newer telephone to an outer monitor, brace it with a Bluetooth rodent and keyboard, and you fundamentally person a desktop computer. Yes, it's inactive Android, but it's Android successful desktop mode.

Once you've connected your telephone to the outer show and paired your telephone with a rodent and keyboard, you tin usage Android arsenic if it were a existent desktop operating system. You tin unfastened and enactment with aggregate apps astatine erstwhile and tile app windows for an adjacent much businesslike experience. After making the connection, I recovered Android to beryllium adjacent much useful; it's adjacent acceptable up similar a accepted desktop, with a sheet astatine the bottom, a commencement paper (which opens the App Drawer), and the accustomed pull-down Notification Shade.

Also: The latest Pixel Drop arrives with 8 utile upgrades for your Android telephone - what's new

If you're moving Android 16 connected a Pixel 8 oregon newer, there's thing you person to bash to alteration the feature, different than person a show that tin beryllium connected via USB-C (more connected that successful a bit). Unless your show is simply a interaction screen, you'll besides request a Bluetooth mouse. Although you tin benignant with the Android virtual keyboard, you'll truly privation a Bluetooth keyboard arsenic well, different you'll miss retired connected the full-blown desktop experience.

How Desktop Mode works

First: The USB-C cablegram needs to enactment high-speed information transfer, specified arsenic this Silkland cablegram from Amazon. You tin usage immoderate Bluetooth rodent oregon keyboard.

Also: How Google turns Android into a desktop OS successful 5 steps

When you link your Pixel telephone to your outer monitor, a pop-up appears connected your telephone asking if you privation to usage it successful Desktop oregon Mirror mode.

Tap Desktop, and you'll spot the caller Desktop Mode connected your outer monitor. Note: You tin besides pat "Don't inquire maine again" to acceptable this arsenic the default.

Once you've done that, you tin commencement utilizing Android successful this caller mode. Surprisingly, Desktop Mode shows nary signs of lag and performs arsenic good arsenic your phone. My Pixel 9 Pro ran similar a champ successful desktop mode and impressed maine capable that I would see it a viable enactment for immoderate regular use. No, I won't beryllium editing nonrecreational videos with my phone, nor volition I beryllium installing server bundle connected it. Other than that, I can't ideate that determination are galore limitations to beryllium placed connected this mode.

A fewer things to support successful mind:

You indispensable person a high-speed USB cable.
Your phone's wallpaper volition not beryllium displayed successful Desktop Mode, but you tin inactive acceptable one. Once you disconnect your phone, you'll person to reset that wallpaper erstwhile you reconnect.
You'll privation a show with an outer powerfulness source, arsenic your telephone astir apt won't powerfulness it.
Any apps you person unfastened connected your telephone volition look successful Desktop Mode successful abstracted windows, truthful you tin usage them side-by-side.
You nary longer person to alteration Desktop Mode successful Developer Options -- it conscionable works retired of the box.

Also: This absurdly elemental instrumentality turns disconnected AI successful your Google Search results

I committedness that you'll beryllium impressed with Android Desktop Mode. In fact, I'd task to foretell that this caller enactment mightiness really summation the percent of users without a desktop oregon laptop.

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