Posted by Francesco Romano – Developer Relations Engineer on Android, and Fahd Imtiaz – Product Supervisor, Android Developer
At the moment, Android is launching just a few updates throughout the platform! This contains the beginning of Android 16’s rollout, with particulars for each builders and customers, a Developer Preview for enhanced Android desktop experiences with linked shows, and updates for Android customers throughout Google apps and extra, plus the June Pixel Drop. We’re additionally recapping all of the Google I/O updates for Android builders targeted on constructing wonderful, adaptive Android apps.
Android has continued to evolve to allow customers to be extra productive on massive screens.
At the moment, we’re excited to share that linked shows assist on suitable Android units is now in developer preview with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 launch. As proven at Google I/O 2025, linked shows allow customers to connect an exterior show to their Android system and rework a small display screen system into a strong instrument with a big display screen. This evolution provides customers the power to maneuver apps past a single display screen to unlock Android’s full productiveness potential on exterior shows.
The linked show replace builds on our desktop windowing expertise, a functionality we previewed final yr. Desktop windowing is about to launch later this yr for customers on suitable tablets operating Android 16. Desktop windowing permits customers to run a number of apps concurrently and resize home windows for optimum multitasking. This new windowing functionality works seamlessly with cut up display screen and different multitasking options customers already love on Android and would not require switching to a particular mode.
Google and Samsung have collaborated to carry a extra seamless and highly effective desktop windowing expertise to massive display screen units and telephones with linked shows in Android 16 throughout the Android ecosystem. These developments will improve Samsung DeX, and likewise lengthen to different Android units.
For builders, linked shows and desktop windowing current new alternatives for constructing extra partaking and extra productive app experiences that seamlessly adapt throughout type components. You may check out these options immediately in your linked show with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on choose Pixel units.
What’s new in linked shows assist?
When a supported Android telephone or foldable is linked to an exterior show by means of a DisplayPort connection, a brand new desktop session begins on the linked show. The telephone and the exterior show function independently, and apps are particular to the show on which they’re operating.
The expertise on the linked show is much like the expertise on a desktop, together with a job bar that reveals operating apps and lets customers pin apps for fast entry. Customers are in a position to run a number of apps facet by facet concurrently in freely resizable home windows on the linked show.
When a desktop windowing enabled system (like a pill) is linked to an exterior show, the desktop session is prolonged throughout each shows, unlocking an much more expansive workspace. The 2 shows then operate as one steady system, permitting app home windows, content material, and the cursor to maneuver freely between the shows.
A cornerstone of this effort is the evolution of desktop windowing, which is secure in Android 16 and is filled with enhancements and new capabilities.
Desktop windowing secure launch
We have made substantial enhancements within the stability and efficiency of desktop windowing in Android 16. This implies customers will encounter a smoother, extra dependable expertise when managing app home windows on linked shows. Past basic stability enhancements, we’re introducing a number of new options:
- Versatile window tiling: Multitasking will get a lift with extra intuitive window tiling choices. Customers can extra simply prepare a number of app home windows facet by facet or in numerous configurations, making it less complicated to work throughout completely different functions concurrently on a big display screen.
- A number of desktops: Customers can arrange a number of desktop classes to match their distinct productiveness necessities and change between the desktops utilizing keyboard shortcuts, trackpad gestures, and Overview.
- Enhanced app compatibility remedies: New compatibility remedies make sure that even legacy apps behave extra predictably and look higher on exterior shows by default. This reduces the burden on builders whereas offering a greater out-of-the-box expertise for customers.
- Multi-instance administration: Customers can handle a number of situations of supporting functions (for instance, Chrome or, Preserve) by means of the app header button or taskbar context menu.
This permits for fast switching between completely different situations of the identical app. - Desktop persistence: Android can now higher keep window sizes, positions, and states throughout completely different desktops. This implies customers can arrange their most well-liked workspace and have it restored throughout classes, providing a extra constant and environment friendly workflow.
Finest practices for optimum app experiences on linked shows
With the introduction of linked show assist in Android, it is vital to make sure your apps take full benefit of the brand new show capabilities. That can assist you construct apps that shine on this enhanced setting, listed here are some key improvement practices to observe:
Construct apps optimized for desktop
- Design for any window measurement: With telephones now connecting to exterior shows, your cell app can run in a window of virtually any measurement and side ratio. This implies the app window might be as huge because the display screen of the linked show but in addition flex to suit a smaller window. In desktop windowing, the minimal window measurement is 386 x 352 dp, which is smaller than most telephones. This basically modifications how it’s essential take into consideration UI. With orientation and resizability modifications in Android 16, it turns into much more vital so that you can replace your apps to assist resizability and portrait and panorama orientations for an optimum expertise with desktop windowing and linked shows. Ensure that your app helps any window measurement by following the finest practices on adaptive improvement.
Deal with dynamic show modifications
- Do not assume a relentless Show object: The Show object related together with your app’s context can change when an app window is moved to an exterior show or if the show configuration modifications. Your app ought to gracefully deal with configuration change occasions and question show metrics dynamically reasonably than caching them.
- Account for density configuration modifications: Exterior shows can have vastly completely different pixel densities than the first system display screen. Guarantee your layouts and sources adapt appropriately to those modifications to take care of UI readability and value. Use density-independent pixels (dp) for layouts, present density-specific sources, and guarantee your UI scales appropriately.
Transcend simply the display screen
- Accurately assist exterior peripherals: When customers connect with an exterior monitor, they typically create a extra desktop-like setting. This often includes utilizing exterior keyboards, mice, trackpads, webcams, microphones, and audio system. In case your app makes use of digicam or microphone enter, the app ought to have the ability to detect and make the most of peripherals linked by means of the exterior show or a docking station.
- Deal with keyboard actions: Desktop customers rely closely on keyboard shortcuts for effectivity. Implement commonplace shortcuts (for instance, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Z) and take into account app-specific shortcuts that make sense in a windowed setting. Ensure that your app helps keyboard navigation.
- Assist mouse interactions: Past easy clicks, guarantee your app responds appropriately to mouse hover occasions (for instance, for tooltips or visible suggestions), right-clicks (for contextual menus), and exact scrolling. Think about implementing customized pointers to point completely different actions.
Getting began
Discover the linked shows and enhanced desktop windowing options within the newest Android Beta. Get Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on a supported Pixel system (Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 collection) to begin testing your app immediately. Then allow desktop expertise options within the developer settings.
Assist for linked shows within the Android Emulator is coming quickly, so keep tuned for updates!
Dive into the up to date documentation on multi-display assist and window administration to study extra about implementing these finest practices.
Suggestions
Your suggestions is essential as we proceed to refine these experiences. Please share your ideas and report any points by means of our official suggestions channels.
We’re dedicated to creating Android a flexible platform that adapts to the numerous methods customers need to work together with their apps and units. The enhancements to linked show assist are one other step in that course, and we won’t wait to see the wonderful experiences you may construct!
