Android 16 will have a desktop mode similar to Samsung DeX. This was revealed a few months ago after the Android 16 Beta was given to developers. Yesterday, Google finally showed the final design for this desktop mode as well as some of the features that will be supported.
Google confirmed that the desktop mode was developed in collaboration with Samsung, which has offered DeX since 2017. In desktop mode, there is a taskbar below the screen with shortcuts to launch several applications similar to the Chrome OS interface. Like DeX, the icons of the applications that have been opened will also be displayed in the taskbar. To the left of the application shortcuts is a button for the application tray installed on the device.
Google says that applications developed with reactive size will automatically change according to the size of the window in desktop mode. Support for reactive size has been worked on by Google since they wanted to support foldable screen devices through Android 12L. The same application resizing will later be supported in Android auto and Android XR.
What remains a question mark is whether Android 16's desktop mode will be supported by all devices using this operating system. Samsung DeX, for example, is only supported by flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series devices at this time.