Generated by Gemini gems based on my video copy, may differ from the views in my video, for reference only.
This time, let's talk about the hidden desktop mode feature of Google Pixel phones. In short, this feature is currently very immature, has many bugs, and the user experience is extremely bad, even worse than the computer mode launched by Huawei many years ago. If you have high expectations for it, then this article may make you "pull the weeds".
1. Enable Pixel desktop mode
This feature is not available out of the box and needs to be enabled and configured manually:
- Developer options settings: Go to "Settings" -> "System" -> "Developer Options" on your phone, find and enable the following four options:
- Force the activity to be resizable
- Enable resizable windows
- Enable resizable windows on secondary displays
- Allow multi-window mode to display non-resizable apps (you may need to restart your phone after turning it on)
- Notice: My device (latest system) only has these four items, and lacks the "force desktop mode" option mentioned in foreign tutorials, which may lead to differences in subsequent experience.
- Install and configure the Taskbar application:
- Search and install the "Taskbar" app in the Google Play Store.
- Open the Taskbar application settings, and in the "Desktop Mode" section, check the option to "Set the taskbar as the default home screen application" (that is, select Taskbar instead of Pixel Launcher as the launcher in desktop mode).
2. Connection and initial experience
Use a USB-C cable (or docking station) to connect an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard. After connecting the monitor, the phone will prompt "Mirror to additional monitor", click "Start". At this time, a computer desktop-like interface (provided by Taskbar) should be presented on the monitor instead of a simple phone screen mirroring. There will be a foldable taskbar at the bottom.
3. Multitasking and full-screen nightmare
In desktop mode, you can open multiple application windows at the same time, such as browsers, eBay, AI applications, etc., and switch between them, theoretically achieving multitasking.
However, problems soon emerged:
- Loss of control after full screen: When you maximize an application (full screen), the minimize, maximize, and close buttons at the top of the window may disappear. At this time, if there is no special keyboard shortcut (such as the "Back to Main Menu" key on the Logitech keyboard), you may not be able to restore the window, nor can you switch or return to the desktop by clicking the taskbar, because the taskbar may not be called out normally.
- Status bar is unreliable: Even if the full-screen status bar (with back, home, and multitasking buttons) is retained through the Taskbar settings, its behavior is very unstable. Sometimes it can operate the display interface, and sometimes it will incorrectly control the phone itself, and even make it impossible to switch back to display control.
4. Taskbar Application: The Most BUG-Prone Area
In order to solve the full screen problem and optimize the experience, I delved into the settings of the Taskbar application, but found that the application itself was full of bugs and inconsistencies:
- Setting random effect: After turning on an option (such as "Show scroll bar", "Automatically close taskbar", "Hide application labels", "Transparent menu"), the interface may not change at all; or the first setting is effective, but invalid when set the second time.
- Visual Errors: The taskbar has a ghost image; the background still exists after the transparent menu is set; the text still appears after the label is hidden.
- Functional logic confusion: Functions such as "Collapse the taskbar when selecting an item" and "Automatically collapse the taskbar" sometimes work and sometimes don't.
- Mouse pointer ownership issue: Turning the Taskbar's "Desktop Mode" switch on or off will randomly affect whether the mouse pointer appears on the phone screen or the monitor screen. There is no absolute rule, which is very frustrating.
- Navigation key/shortcut key confusion: The bottom virtual navigation keys or keyboard shortcuts (such as switching applications) sometimes control the display and sometimes control the phone, which is confusing.
I spent a lot of time fiddling with Taskbar's settings, trying to find a stable combination that worked, but it was futile. The uncertainty was exhausting.
5. DPI adjustment (ADB required)
The DPI adjustment function is available in the "Additional Settings" of Taskbar, but this needs to be enabled through ADB commands. Connect the phone to the computer, open ADB, and run something like adb shell settings put global taskbar_experimental_desktop_mode_dpi_scaling The command ( with a number, such as 160 or 320).
- The default and recommended DPI is usually 160.
- For 4K monitors, using 160 DPI will make icons and text sharper (less aliasing) than the default setting. Using 320 DPI will make icons larger.
- The effect of adjusting DPI on a 1080P monitor is not obvious.
6. Other mentioned features
- Second Screen: There is an "Install Second Screen" feature in Taskbar settings, but it requires root permissions on the phone to use it.
- The task bar at the bottom of the phone: Taskbar can also display a taskbar at the bottom of the phone screen. Personally, I think it affects the appearance and also has bugs.
Final conclusion: Avoid the pit! Don’t try!
The desktop mode of Pixel phones, combined with the Taskbar application, is currently a disaster. It is not only a half-finished product, but also full of bugs and logical confusion that affect basic use. The configuration is complex, the behavior is random, and the stability is extremely poor.
If I had to choose, I would rather endure the blinding small screen or learn the Linux command line, and never touch this so-called "desktop mode" again.
I hope Google can completely improve this feature in the future Android 16. At this stage, it is strongly recommended that you do not waste your time trying it.
