Google may soon roll out a new desktop-style experience for Android smartphones with the release of Android 16. A recent report reveals that the latest Android 16 Beta 4 includes a hidden developer option titled “Enable desktop experience features”, which activates a taskbar, three-button navigation, and floating app windows when a Pixel phone is connected to an external display such as a laptop.
According to Android Authority, this new mode was spotted on a Pixel 8 Pro and enables desktop-style windowing for secondary displays. Once connected, users can interact with a Windows-like interface that includes a taskbar showing pinned and recent apps, a full app drawer, and multitasking features like floating, resizable windows and drag-and-drop content movement.
This feature resembles Samsung’s DeX (Desktop eXperience), suggesting that Google aims to provide a native desktop-like experience to keep up with competitors. While an earlier version of desktop windowing was introduced with Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 for the Pixel Tablet, it only supported built-in displays. Android 16’s update appears to extend this functionality to smartphones connected to external monitors.
Though not officially launched yet, the discovery hints at a broader push by Google to enhance productivity features across Android devices.