Android Q has a native Desktop Mode: Here is the first launcher

For now, we have seen few customizations of Android in Desktop mode, one of these is Samsung Dex, and it has certainly required a lot of development as it is a new way. Few other brands have ventured into this new branch, but now it is Google in the first place that is working to insert a native Desktop Mode on Android Q.

Google has practically hidden the entry, but in the developer settings of the Beta version of Android Q it is possible to enable the function that will later have to be executed through an adb command from the terminal. Once started and connected to an external monitor, the smartphone will show an extended display with floating windows on the connected screen; it is not yet possible to add widgets and the rest of the layout is basically an oversized telephone interface.

To take full advantage of this feature, Daniel Blandford is developing a launcher that adapts to the needs of the Mountain View company: it is a basic interface with some useful features that make the system a mix between Windows and Chrome OS.

The application bar at the bottom offers the possibility to search among the installed apps and there are useful information on the status of the phone on the bottom right; the launcher also supports widgets and shortcuts on the app desktop, all supported by mouse, keyboard and even touch.

In the video, we can see how the system is already quite fluid, although the same developer says that it is only a preview; this environment shows us a valid alternative to Samsung Dex and both are ready to revolutionize the concept of ” laptop “. We do not know if Google already implements this desktop function in the final version of Android Q or if the work of its development is still long, but we know that the new desktop environment will open new possibilities for development because it is a world yet to be discovered.