{"id":719483,"date":"2026-07-30T17:47:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/719483\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T17:47:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:47:15","slug":"i-hooked-up-my-google-pixel-phone-to-a-monitor-my-laptop-is-now-officially-obsolete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/719483\/","title":{"rendered":"I hooked up my Google Pixel phone to a monitor; my laptop is now officially obsolete"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’ve been following the Android news lately, Google has begun full-throttle development of Aluminium OS, the platform that’s expected to eventually replace ChromeOS and power upcoming Android PCs.<\/p>\n

While that future is still some distance away, it made me excited about how far Google has already come with Android’s desktop mode.<\/p>\n

For years, Google has offered a desktop mode on Android, but with later versions of Android 16<\/a>, the company finally opened up the ability to turn your phone into a PC by simply connecting it to an external display and pairing a keyboard and mouse. <\/p>\n

Having never tried Samsung DeX before, I didn’t know what to expect. But after using it for a few days, though, I can see why it could eventually replace my Mac, or at least serve as a solid alternative for light computing on the go.<\/p>\n

Here’s what it’s like using Android’s desktop mode today, and how you can recreate a similar setup using just your phone.<\/p>\n


\n \"A<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tI didn’t think I needed a desktop mode on my Pixel \u2014 until I tried it
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Android’s desktop mode turns your phone into a full-fledged workstation with a large screen interface, resizable apps, and a traditional taskbar<\/p>\n

How to enable Android desktop mode on your phone<\/p>\n

You only need a compatible phone and cable\/dock to start using it<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re interested in trying Android’s desktop mode<\/a> yourself. Here’s how you can get started and experience it on your own device.<\/p>\n

Before diving into the settings, it’s worth noting that this feature is currently limited to Google Pixel devices, specifically the Pixel 8<\/a> and newer models that support display output over USB-C<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you don’t have a newer Pixel phone like the Pixel 10, or if you are using a non-Pixel device, you will not be able to use this feature right now.<\/p>\n

If you do have a compatible Pixel phone<\/a>, and it is updated to the latest version of Android, you can try Android’s desktop mode by enabling a few settings first:<\/p>\n

Open the Settings app, go to About phone, and tap Build number seven times to enable Developer options.<\/p>\n

When enabled, head back to Settings and go to System > Developer options.<\/p>\n

\"About<\/p>\n

In Developer options, scroll down to the Window management section.<\/p>\n

Enable three toggles for Force activities to be resizable, Enable non-resizable in multi-window, and Enable desktop experience features.<\/p>\n

\"Android\"Developer<\/p>\n

After enabling the final toggle, you will be prompted to reboot your device.<\/p>\n

That’s it. Android desktop mode is now enabled on your device.<\/p>\n

You can connect your phone to an external monitor using a USB-C to HDMI cable, or an HDMI cable paired with a USB-C hub<\/a>, and start using Android’s desktop mode.<\/p>\n

When connected, your phone will show a prompt asking whether you want to connect to the external display as Desktop or Mirror. Select Desktop, and you’ll see the desktop interface appear on the external screen.<\/p>\n

\"Android<\/p>\n

For the full experience, I recommend pairing your phone with a wireless keyboard and mouse. This makes it much easier to control the desktop interface and use it like a proper PC-style computing setup.<\/p>\n

If you have a newer Pixel device like a Pixel 10 series phone, you can charge your device using a compatible Qi2 charger<\/a> while it is plugged in.<\/p>\n

This allows the phone to power Android desktop mode, letting you enjoy the full desktop experience without worrying about battery drain.<\/p>\n

Using Android desktop mode feels better than I expected<\/p>\n

Using apps in windows and multitasking feel closer to a real computer<\/p>\n

\"Android<\/p>\n

As soon as you connect your Pixel to an external monitor and select Desktop mode, you are greeted with a completely new Android experience on the larger screen, one that feels very different from anything you have seen on a phone before.<\/p>\n

At the bottom of the screen, there is a Windows-like taskbar with icons to open the app drawer and your Pixel’s docked apps from the home screen already pinned in place.<\/p>\n

As you open more apps, they appear next to the dock separator, similar to how running apps show up on macOS and Windows.<\/p>\n

In the lower-right corner of the display, you will find the familiar three-button navigation controls for Back, Home, and Recents.<\/p>\n

In the upper-right corner, Android’s status bar shows icons for battery, Wi-Fi, cellular signal, Bluetooth, and an indicator confirming the phone is connected to an external display.<\/p>\n

In the upper-left corner, you can see the time along with live activity chips for things like screen recording or a running stopwatch.<\/p>\n

If you click and drag down on an empty area of the desktop while holding the left mouse button, Android reveals a tablet-style layout with Quick Settings on the left and notifications on the right.<\/p>\n

Like a traditional desktop operating system, you can interact with the interface using a mouse cursor and type into text fields using a physical keyboard.<\/p>\n

There is also an option to bring up an on-screen keyboard if you prefer, although it is not particularly convenient when using a non-touch external display.<\/p>\n

What immediately feels new when you start using this setup is how different apps look and behave on a large screen.<\/p>\n

Every app opens in its own resizable window, much like it would on a laptop, instead of taking over the entire screen as it does on an Android tablet.<\/p>\n

You can minimize, maximize, or close an app using the three window controls in the upper-right corner of each app window.<\/p>\n

You also get access to app-level menus by clicking the app icon in the upper-left corner of the window. Apps that are properly optimized for large screens feel surprisingly native in this mode.<\/p>\n

Google Chrome, for example, opens with a desktop-like interface, complete with a horizontal tab bar at the top, a full address bar with bookmark shortcuts, and the familiar Chrome homepage layout.<\/p>\n

Websites load in desktop view by default, and you can even open multiple Chrome windows by right-clicking the app icon in the taskbar.<\/p>\n

The only real limitation here is that Chrome extensions are not supported, which is expected.<\/p>\n

Other Google apps behave exactly how you would expect them to on a larger display. Apps like Google Photos, Calendar, and Drive are well optimized for this layout, while Gmail also feels mostly desktop-ready, aside from a few minor quirks.<\/p>\n

You can freely open multiple apps in separate windows and use them side by side, and there is even a setting that lets you move the mouse cursor seamlessly between your phone screen and the external monitor.<\/p>\n

What you do not get, however, is a traditional desktop with files and folders that you can pin or interact with directly, like on macOS or Windows.<\/p>\n

Still, this is the closest Android has ever come to offering a true desktop-like experience.<\/p>\n

That said, this experience is not meant to replace a Mac or a Windows PC entirely.<\/p>\n

Still, I can see where people would plug their phones into external monitors for light computing tasks, especially workflows that rely heavily on web-based tools or productivity apps like Google Docs and Sheets.<\/p>\n

On the whole, though, what surprised me the most was how all of this ran smoothly through my Pixel 10 Pro while driving a 27-inch LG monitor without heating up, which was genuinely impressive.<\/p>\n


\n \"A<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tI thought Android Desktop Mode was a gimmick until these life-saving tips changed how I work
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Desktop Mode has plenty of features to get you going<\/p>\n

So what exactly is Aluminum OS, and how is it different from Android desktop mode?<\/p>\n

It’ll build on desktop mode with a more polished desktop experience<\/p>\n

\"Wide<\/p>\n

You might be wondering how this Android desktop mode is different from Aluminium OS, the platform Google is developing for Android PCs and laptops.<\/p>\n

In simple terms, Android’s desktop mode is something Google has been working on for years, while Aluminium OS is the next step in that evolution.<\/p>\n

Aluminium OS is meant to merge ChromeOS and Android into a single, unified operating system, and it is clearly Google’s long-term attempt to compete more directly with Windows and macOS as a full desktop platform.<\/p>\n

Unlike Android desktop mode, Aluminium OS devices will run independently on laptop or PC hardware without needing your phone connected at all.<\/p>\n

These devices are expected to offer a much more powerful experience, including a full desktop version of Chrome with extension support and, as we saw recently, Gemini deeply baked into the system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Circle<\/p>\n

While the current Android desktop mode already includes some AI features like Circle to Search<\/a>, Aluminium OS feels like it is being designed for full agentic behavior, where Gemini can actively control apps and workflows.<\/p>\n

It could also be Google’s vision of true continuity, where you start working on your phone and seamlessly continue the same task on a larger screen running Aluminium OS.<\/p>\n

Android desktop mode has me hyped up<\/p>\n

This early look at Android’s desktop mode made me realize how far smartphones have come.<\/p>\n

A phone can now power a desktop-like computing experience on an external monitor, with very few glitches, and it still feels impressive.<\/p>\n

Samsung DeX<\/a> has been doing this for years, but actually trying it out for the first time has made it click for me just how viable this approach has become.<\/p>\n

Moreover, using Android’s desktop mode has already turned me into a believer in Aluminium OS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you’ve been following the Android news lately, Google has begun full-throttle development of Aluminium OS, the platform…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":719484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-719483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=719483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/719484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=719483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=719483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=719483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}