this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2026

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445

Your Pixel can now double up as a full Android PC with nothing more than a USB-C cable (www.androidauthority.com)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by snowdriftissue@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

149 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This has been hidden in developer options for a while now, but they're now releasing it officially. Limited to Pixel 8 and newer devices and no 4k yet.

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[–] btsax@reddthat.com 2 points 6 days ago

I had video out via MHL back in like 2013 and a usable desktop environment on an HTC M7 or something like that. Haven't had a phone that could do anything similar since, and it's kind of wild with how much more powerful phones are these days that desktop modes aren't more common. I would love to not have to carry a laptop around when my phone is more than powerful enough for what I do for work.

[–] rodneylives@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

Yes, although it will be a full ANDROID PC.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 176 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (22 children)

Your Pixel

Limited to Pixel 8 and newer devices and no 4k yet.

Oh, so your Pixel, but not my Pixel.

[–] BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

sad pixel 5 noises

I've been waiting for a camera bump free upgrade, the 10a might be it but I'm reluctant to continue up the phone size escalator.

[–] snowdriftissue@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

My guy if you use that phone for anything remotely sensitive you should get a new one. It hasn't received security updates in over 2 years. The 8a is about $200 refurbished with 6 more years of updates and you won't notice the bump if you use a case.

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[–] Fetus@lemmy.world 38 points 1 week ago (4 children)

So sort of like the Continuum mode that Windows Phones had, like, ten years ago?

[–] Yaky@slrpnk.net 29 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Like desktop mode on Librem5 in 2020, convergence on PinePhone from 2021, or Samsung Dex from a few years ago, too.

[–] cabbage@piefed.social 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And every Ubuntu Touch device with support for external monitors for the last ten years or so. Here's a demonstration running on a Fairphone 4.

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[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh the Motorola Atrix from like, 2014? I still have the lapdock. Used it with an original RPi for a while to make a terrible laptop.

[–] Yaky@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 week ago

Wiki says the model is from 2011, and all that functionality was implemented on Android 2.3.x, impressive! Google is only 14 versions behind.

[–] greyscale@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 week ago

Yes, but even a diamond encrusted turd still gets flushed, diamonds and all.

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[–] jjs@infosec.pub 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Anyone know if this works with GrapheneOS? I haven’t tested this in a very long time and then I was on stock. Android.

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[–] ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It works okay, but not great for me. I toss my phone on one of my old laptops docking station at work, but some apps like to force a shit resolution. It is pretty neat having them in moveable windows though.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Have you used the latest version?

[–] ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I haven't used it in the past few months, I'll definitely give it another try though.

Edit: Oh, yeah this is a bit different. I like the new prompt asking if it's extended or desktop. I will definitely have to play with it a bit more, I had tossed it to the back of my brain as a 'well it exists' feature.

[–] mrnngglry@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago (3 children)

For some reason, I thought this was already possible and it was something I was jealous of as an iPhone user.

[–] dnub@piefed.social 22 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Samsung S devices have Dex (desktop mode) for years now

[–] mrnngglry@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago

Must be what I’m thinking of.

[–] Vlyn@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah, I stumbled over that when I wanted to charge my phone while I'm away in a meeting. Plugged it into the USB-C at my desk, suddenly the content of my phone opened up on my two office monitors, lol.

[–] vikingtons@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

it was, just in an early state under the developer settings

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[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

And a monitor that supports usb-c, I assume.

[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 1 week ago

Or just a converter from USB-C to whatever you have on your current screen.

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

DisplayLink. The Dell box I use to hotdesk my office laptop by day also works as a KVM on my pixel 9a. I get power, monitor, keyboard, mouse and ethernet on one cable.

It's good for watching movies.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do you mean DisplayPort?

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (3 children)

No, that's different. Displaylink is basically KVM over USB-C.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 3 points 1 week ago

I think you mean DP Alt Mode.

[–] blujan@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago

As far as i know, display link requires software not available on the pixel, so you must be using display port and confusing both. Display port supports all the things you said

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[–] neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I love this! Wish iPhone would have this feature.

If so, I could do all my work with just my iPhone.

I have a 15, and will hold out on a new iPhone for at least 4-5 years. I may go longer if there is not a desktop mode by then though.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

iPhones will never have it for the same reason that iPads will never have proper window management and MacBooks will never have touchscreens.

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[–] artyom@piefed.social 3 points 1 week ago

I've been waiting for this for a while. Is it really "stable" though? There's very limited info on this but what little there is seems to suggest it's not ready.

[–] JTode@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

In other news, Windows has Linux built-in now, so you don't need to ever install it yourself!

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