Google is enhancing Android’s desktop functionality with Android 16, currently in beta testing. New external monitor tools, found in developer options, allow users to extend their device display to an external monitor, although it’s still in a basic state. Currently, the mouse is confined to one screen, requiring users to reconnect to switch between mirroring and extending modes. Future updates are expected to enable seamless mouse movement across screens and customizable display settings, akin to those on Windows PCs. This development suggests Google’s goal of transforming Android into a comprehensive desktop OS, potentially merging it with Chrome OS.
Google is on the brink of integrating genuine desktop OS features into Android, with evidence emerging from Android 16.
Android Authority discovered external monitor functionalities in the upcoming OS, presently undergoing beta testing, that suggest Google’s ambitions. When an Android phone is connected via USB to an external monitor, it currently defaults to screen mirroring.
However, nestled within the developer options, there exists a method to extend the smartphone’s display onto the external monitor. This solution is quite basic at this stage – the mouse remains fixed to one screen and cannot transition between them, and users must reconnect to switch between mirroring and extending modes.
Nonetheless, it appears Google has concealed capabilities that will allow the mouse cursor to navigate between screens. In the future, users will likely gain access to features similar to those found on Windows PCs – including the ability to adjust the position of the external display and modify the scaling (size of text and icons) independently on the external display.
This points to Google’s intent to transform Android into a comprehensive desktop OS when necessary, and it may even integrate Chrome OS with Android.
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