{"id":917,"date":"2025-02-18T01:39:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T01:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/?p=917"},"modified":"2025-02-18T01:39:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T01:39:15","slug":"i-tried-this-hidden-desktop-mode-on-my-pixel-9-pro-xl-google-needs-to-bring-this-to-all-android-phones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/2025\/02\/18\/i-tried-this-hidden-desktop-mode-on-my-pixel-9-pro-xl-google-needs-to-bring-this-to-all-android-phones\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried this hidden desktop mode on my Pixel 9 Pro XL \u2014 Google needs to bring this to all Android phones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s one step closer to having a computer in my pocket<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I don\u2019t understand why we don\u2019t have computers that fit in our pockets. Oh wait, we do \u2014 they\u2019re called smartphones. So why am I still lugging around a laptop every day to work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is exactly the reason why I\u2019ve leaned onSamsung DeXso much on my Galaxy phones that support it. There\u2019s no kidding thatDeX is one of the most underrated phone featuresaround, but I really find value in how it sort of replicates the desktop PC experience with its ability to run multiple apps simultaneously whenever I connect my phone to an external monitor. I\u2019ve purposefully left my laptop at home on days when I have to commute to the office thanks to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I stumbled upon a hidden feature in myPixel 9 Pro XLthat gives me a similar desktop PC-like experience \u2014 and I\u2019m stoked about it. After spending a week with it, I hope thatGooglewill make it a native feature for all Android phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not quite as polished as DeX, but usable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Google\u2019s desktop mode isn\u2019t polished at all, which is why it\u2019s accessible only once developer mode is enabled. Still, it gets the job done for most things I need to do on a daily basis. Once I\u2019ve connected my Pixel 9 Pro XL to my monitor at work (through a USB-C hub, which also has a mouse and keyboard connected to it), Google\u2019s desktop mode launches after I select the on-screen message on my phone to mirror my screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to Samsung\u2019s DeX, this desktop-like environment lets me multitask a lot better than on my phone. This is due to how I can run multiple apps simultaneously and resize their respective windows in such a way where I can feasibly run upwards of four apps. Try doing that on any phone! You can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And since this mode lets me use my mouse and keyboard, my productivity is amplified over what I could traditionally do on just my phone. However, I wouldn\u2019t go far to say it would totally replace my laptop. That\u2019s because it can\u2019t quite handle all the stuff I rely on to get my work done. For example, there are severalChromescripts I use for work which aren’t available to me on my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also other oddities in the interface, like how it can\u2019t automatically tile windows and how it doesn\u2019t support common keyboard shortcuts (like Alt + Tab for quick switching apps). It\u2019s more of a manual affair with this interface, which is why Samsung DeX feels like a more polished interface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>>GWRL2 Battery for Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to access Pixel 9 Pro XL desktop mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Enable developer mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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In order to access this hidden mode, you have to enable a few settings hidden in Developer Mode. You just need to head on over to theSettings > About Phone > Build Number<\/strong>, then proceed to taprepeatedly<\/em>on the build number until a message appears saying that you\u2019re now a developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Enable settings for Desktop Mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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From there, you\u2019ll want to navigate to Settings > System > Developer options<\/strong>. Now scroll down all the way to the bottom of the list and toggle on the following options: Enable Freeform Windows, Force activities to be resizable, Enable freeform windows on secondary display, and Enable non-resizable in multi window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even though it\u2019s not necessary, I would recommend installing theTaskbar appas well because the native one in the Pixel 9 Pro XL\u2019s desktop mode is broken. There\u2019s a button to access the apps panel, but the home and back functions are strangely hidden. They\u2019re there towards the bottom edge of the panel because those actions happen when I press on those corresponding areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the Taskbar app allows me to better juggle around all the apps, versus manually relaunching each one from the apps panel whenever I minimize windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>>>GDHB7 Battery for Google GDHB7<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Clearly there\u2019s still a lot of work needed before this desktop PC-like interface can convince me it\u2019s just as good as Samsung DeX. Nevertheless, the foundation is here and I hope that Google continues to develop this because I\u2019ve also found out that it supports touchscreen displays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google has a long way to go before this desktop mode matches Samsung’s DeX, but making it a native feature for other Android makers to add on to and enhance could make for a worthwhile experience in those times I don’t want to lug around my laptop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s one step closer to having a computer in my pocket I don\u2019t understand why we don\u2019t have computers that fit in our pockets. Oh wait, we do \u2014 they\u2019re called smartphones. So why am I still lugging around a laptop every day to work? This is exactly the reason why I\u2019ve leaned onSamsung DeXso … Continue reading I tried this hidden desktop mode on my Pixel 9 Pro XL \u2014 Google needs to bring this to all Android phones<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=917"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":918,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/917\/revisions\/918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}