TL;DR
- Android will soon ask if you want to enable Desktop Mode or mirror your screen when connecting to an external display.
- A new “don’t ask me again” checkbox allows the system to remember your preference for specific monitors.
- This streamlines the setup process, removing the need to dig through Settings to switch between mirroring and desktop modes.
With the first quarterly release of Android 16, certain Pixel phones gained more flexibility when connected to an external display. Rather than being restricted to simple screen mirroring, they can now project a desktop-like interface via Android’s new Desktop Mode.
While Desktop Mode is great for productivity, you need a mouse and keyboard to really take advantage of it. Without these peripherals, controlling apps becomes difficult unless your external display has a touchscreen. In these cases, screen mirroring remains the better option, as it allows you to navigate using your phone while viewing content on the big screen.