https://www.androidauthority.com/desktop-mode-march-pixel-drop-3646069/
2026-03-04 11:30 UTC
Replies (37)
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@neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-03-04 12:06
I love this! Wish iPhone would have this feature. If so, I could do all my work with just my iPhone. I have a 15, and will hold out on a new iPhone for at least 4-5 years. I may go longer if there is not a desktop mode by then though.
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@SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2026-03-04 12:03
>Your Pixel >Limited to Pixel 8 and newer devices and no 4k yet. Oh, so *your* Pixel, but not *my* Pixel.
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@zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-03-04 14:26
This used to be exciting stuff about ten years ago when some of us still thought Google was doing cool things.
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@paequ2@lemmy.today 2026-03-05 02:40
That's cool... I guess... What I really want is to continue to use F-Droid though.
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@JTskulk@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 23:18
Why say "Your Pixel can now..." when my Pixel can't? Why not say "Pixel 8 and newer devices can now...".
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@Fetus@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 12:35
So sort of like the Continuum mode that Windows Phones had, like, ten years ago?
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@MIXEDUNIVERS@discuss.tchncs.de 2026-03-05 07:36
i hope it comes to graphene os
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@hanrahan@slrpnk.net 2026-03-05 03:49
Samsung has been doing this with Dex for many years ffs.
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@Jumbie@lemmy.zip 2026-03-05 00:43
What is an android PC? Is that like a boat car?
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@jjs@infosec.pub 2026-03-04 13:48
Anyone know if this works with GrapheneOS? I haven’t tested this in a very long time and then I was on stock. Android.
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@sonofearth@lemmy.world 2026-03-05 04:06
Imagine what the world could be if we had repairable Arch Linux Phones that can go full desktop mode just like the pixel rn. Aaahhh that turns me on!🤤
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@ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 2026-03-04 13:05
It works okay, but not great for me. I toss my phone on one of my old laptops docking station at work, but some apps like to force a shit resolution. It is pretty neat having them in moveable windows though.
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@kokesh@lemmy.world 2026-03-05 09:39
I've bought 1920x1200 IPS screen from temu. It is small, runs off the phone (if you want) power and works brilliantly. I'm using Windows RDP to use my desktop anywhere I want in the house. Works great for a few month, I had lower resolution for a couple updates, but the current version running on Android 17 Beta2 works just fine, at full resolution.
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@HubertManne@piefed.social 2026-03-04 23:26
last thing I want is an android pc. well maybe not the last but nope
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@arcine@jlai.lu 2026-03-05 23:30
Since I have to carry a keyboard anyway, I'm just going to carry a full laptop instead.
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@Halcyon@discuss.tchncs.de 2026-03-04 16:01
And are there apps for normal desktop office work? I'm surely not gonna use Google docs or Microsoft's cloud clobber.
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@mrnngglry@sh.itjust.works 2026-03-04 12:23
For some reason, I thought this was already possible and it was something I was jealous of as an iPhone user.
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@NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 2026-03-05 00:28
It didn't already do this? Why did I have phones and tablets that could do this already?
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@artyom@piefed.social 2026-03-04 12:02
I've been waiting for this for a while. Is it really "stable" though? There's very limited info on this but what little there is seems to suggest it's not ready.
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@RobotToaster@mander.xyz 2026-03-04 12:08
And a monitor that supports usb-c, I assume.
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@btsax@reddthat.com 2026-03-04 20:10
I had video out via MHL back in like 2013 and a usable desktop environment on an HTC M7 or something like that. Haven't had a phone that could do anything similar since, and it's kind of wild with how much more powerful phones are these days that desktop modes aren't more common. I would love to not have to carry a laptop around when my phone is more than powerful enough for what I do for work.
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@SqueakyBeaver@piefed.blahaj.zone 2026-03-04 15:58
I'm not sure if lineage has this option, but on my Pixel 8, at least, there's an option in system -> gestures called One-handed mode. If you use gesture navigation, it lets you swipe down on the navigation bar to either drag the top of the screen into reach or open the notification drawer. You can also map it to the accessibility button (and put it in the navigation bar) if you use the 3-button navigation. I'm sure you're content with your solution, but I just wanted to throw this out here in case you wanted to try something new. ^.^
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@uninvitedguest@piefed.ca 2026-03-05 02:29
If you're still making use of play store apps, I quite like [Quick Cursor](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quickcursor). I'm on a Pixel 8 Pro and I miss my 3A.
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@Ulrich@feddit.org 2026-03-04 13:18
I think you mean DP Alt Mode.
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@blujan@sopuli.xyz 2026-03-04 12:40
As far as i know, display link requires software not available on the pixel, so you must be using display port and confusing both. Display port supports all the things you said
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@aquovie@lemmy.cafe 2026-03-04 14:31
No. DisplayLink is video out over a regular USB protocol/connection, not "alt mode". It's for when you don't have true video out. It's compressed to hell and stupid.
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@Ulrich@feddit.org 2026-03-04 17:48
You're probably not on the latest release then.
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@Ulrich@feddit.org 2026-03-05 16:18
Is that it? What about "bugs and finickyness"?
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@100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 2026-03-04 20:18
It's either Linux phone or fighting in the trenches a losing battle against one the most powerful companies in history. Android offering a desktop mode is good if taken in the context of running an open source software on hardware you own.
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@Xatolos@reddthat.com 2026-03-05 01:55
We are talking about Android, not Apple. Android phones can be user repaired and repaired by third parties without Googles permission.
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@Xatolos@reddthat.com 2026-03-05 20:49
What part can't be repaired? Some parts may be soldered to the board, but the board can be fixed without Googles blessing. And upgrades were never a part of the original comment, so what does that have to do with my comment?
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@inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 20:15
A PC where I can't install what I want? WTF is the point of that bullshit. Thanks but I'll stick to my steam deck for my portable Linux computing needs where I can do what the hell I want.
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@Reygle@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 17:22
I have a 9a running Graphene and with a "usb C laptop dock" I *can* use it in "desktop mode", but I would warn that it is still EXTREMELY buggy and finnicky. Still neat though.
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@JTode@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 13:09
In other news, Windows has Linux built-in now, so you don't need to ever install it yourself!
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@rodneylives@lemmy.world 2026-03-05 09:33
Yes, although it will be a full ANDROID PC.
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@snowdriftissue@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 17:48
> locked down How? They allow users to install 3rd party ROMs and GrapheneOS > unrepairable They're not the best, but far from the worst. I've done multiple repairs on mine without much issue. There are first party parts and guides available on iFixit. > us company I guess? > aids in war and surveillance! You'd be hard pressed to find a manufacturer that doesn't This feature is a positive change. Enabling people to minimize the number of devices they need has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of ewaste people generate, and makes desktop features more accessible to people who can't afford multiple devices.
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@snowdriftissue@lemmy.world 2026-03-04 19:40
There are a lot of assumptions baked into everything you're saying. It's really not that deep. Google Pixels make up a tiny fraction of total mobile market share. This isn't the start of some doomsday scenario where the only computers available are Google Pixels. You're allowed to buy what you want. I need a phone anyway. All of them are kinda shit from an openness/repairability standpoint. And personally I'd rather have one device than two if I can. > relying on a country that doles out sanctions and bombings like it's parking tickets. This is a much larger issue that has little to do with anything we're talking about > locked down further this year to allow only google-sanctioned software This does not apply to GrapheneOS, which again you are allowed to install to these devices. Plus they allow use of the linux terminal which people have been experimenting with to run full linux apps (https://www.androidauthority.com/run-desktop-linux-apps-on-android-how-to-3586539/)