Samsung DeX has been around for years. It's a useful software feature that emulates a desktop interface on an external display, complete with keyboard and mouse input. Some Galaxy tablets can run DeX on device as well.

There have been indications over the past few years that Google might come out with its own desktop mode for Android devices. The very first images of this desktop mode have now surfaced, highlighting that its launch may not be that far off.

AndroidAuthority got this as yet unreleased feature running on a Pixel device. The desktop mode has a proper status and task bar where apps are pinned for easy access. The app drawer is also refined and more suitable for this specific use case.

Multiple apps can be launched in floating windows, which can then be freely resized, moved, or snapped to the side. This behavior will be familiar to anyone who has used a full-fledged desktop OS, since it makes a breeze to drag and drop files from one window to another.

The interface feels like an enhancement for the desktop windowing mode that Google introduced for tablets with an Android 15 quarterly update. The only difference is that the windowing feature only worked on-device whereas this would work with external screens.

What would this mean for the future of Samsung DeX? There's already overlap between some apps that both Google and Samsung make, so these features would overlap as well. It's unlikely that Samsung will ditch DeX just because Google has made a similar UI.

As for when Google's Android desktop mode will arrive, it's said that the higher plausibility is for this feature to launch with a quarterly release for Android 16 or perhaps with Android 17, but likely not with the initial Android 16 launch.

Image credit: Android Authority