Android 16 will introduce a long-awaited native desktop mode, revealed at the I/O 2025 keynote. Developed in collaboration with Samsung, it resembles Chrome OS, featuring a taskbar with pinned apps like Gmail and YouTube. The new mode offers enhanced windowing capabilities and supports adaptive apps that automatically scale for desktop use, as well as compatibility with Android Automotive and Android XR. This update highlights the evolution of Android’s interface, aiming to enhance user experience across various devices.
The highly anticipated native desktop mode for Android is set to arrive with Android 16, as revealed during Google’s I/O 2025 developer keynote. This feature was developed in collaboration with Samsung, leveraging their expertise from the DeX platform that debuted with the Galaxy S8 series in 2017. A preview of the forthcoming desktop interface can be seen at the 20:54 point in the video below.
The native desktop mode for Android resembles Chrome OS, featuring a taskbar at the bottom with a selection of pinned apps. Notable first-party apps, including Gmail, Chrome, YouTube, and Google Photos, are prominently displayed in this interface.
Android 16 desktop mode
It will offer “enhanced windowing capabilities,” and Google has also confirmed that adaptive apps will seamlessly scale for desktop mode, Android Automotive, and Android XR.