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Last checked 15 October 2026. Features and settings in apps and Android versions change, so check the linked pages for current details.
Samsung DeX turns a Galaxy phone into a small desktop when you plug it into a screen. If you own a Pixel or another non-Samsung phone, you may wonder whether you can get something similar. A recent Android Police feature by Irene Okpanachi (published 14 October 2026) describes how she did it on a Pixel 8 with a free app called Dextop and a spare phone as a keyboard. This article looks at that idea, what the apps do according to their own pages, and how it compares with the desktop mode Google has been building into Android.
What Dextop does
According to its Google Play listing, Dextop is a desktop mode app for Android phones. A separate open-source project with a similar name, described on GitHub, says it creates a virtual display and a desktop-like workspace on a smartphone. These are different projects, so check which one you are installing before you grant any permissions.
The Android Police writer describes a landscape workspace with a Windows-style taskbar, a system tray showing battery, time and date, and an app drawer that lists apps alphabetically. She also notes two limits: window resizing is not as smooth as on Samsung DeX, and it works better on a larger screen such as a tablet. One quirk she reports is that if you do not set the app as your default home app, the phone keeps flipping back to portrait.
Adding a mouse and keyboard
A desktop layout is only half the job without proper input. The writer used a wireless mouse with a USB-A dongle and a USB-A to USB-C adapter, which left Bluetooth free for another device. For typing she used a second phone as a keyboard.
The app for that is Bluke, an open-source app. Its F-Droid page says it lets you use a phone as a Bluetooth keyboard, gamepad, trackpad and media remote through the phone’s built-in Bluetooth HID profile. Its release notes say version 1.1.0 needs a one-time re-pairing if you upgrade from 1.0.x: forget the device on both phones and pair again.
The idea is useful for a temporary setup. If you only need to answer a few emails or edit a photo away from your desk, a spare phone can do the job of a keyboard. For daily work, a proper Bluetooth keyboard is more comfortable.
Google’s own desktop mode
You may not need a third-party app at all on newer phones. Google’s Android developers blog says connected display support reached general availability with the Android 16 QPR3 release, letting supported devices connect to an external display with a desktop-style experience. Earlier, Android Authority reported that Pixel 8 and later could try the feature in a beta build.
Plugable’s guide says Android 16 desktop mode on a Pixel needs a USB-C display adapter or hub that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode (Plugable guide). Check that your phone and cable or hub support video output before you buy anything.
Which option suits you?
- Official desktop mode. Best if your phone is supported and you have a USB-C display setup. It is built into Android and does not depend on an extra app.
- A desktop launcher app like Dextop. A free way to try the idea on a phone that does not have official support, but expect rough edges such as window resizing.
- Bluke or a similar app. Handy when you have no keyboard to hand. A real keyboard is better for long typing.
Tips before you try it
- Install apps from the Google Play Store or F-Droid pages linked above, and read the permissions each one asks for.
- Use a wired or dongle mouse if Bluetooth keeps dropping out. The Android Police writer found her mouse’s Bluetooth unstable.
- Test with a short task first, such as photo edits, before relying on it for work.
- If the screen flips to portrait, check that the desktop app is set as your default home app.
- Keep your phone charged. Driving a second screen uses more power.
Who should bother?
Most people do not need a desktop mode. It helps in a few cases: you travel with only a phone and a portable screen, you share a desk where a laptop will not fit, or you want a backup for quick tasks when your main computer is unavailable. If your phone already handles your work comfortably, a launcher app adds little.
It also pays to be realistic about the apps. Phone apps built for touch can look stretched on a big display, and some do not support windows or a mouse pointer well. Test the apps you use most, such as your browser, email and photo editor, before you commit to the setup.
Questions to check first
- Does your phone support video output over USB-C? Not every phone does.
- Does your hub or adapter pass power through, so the phone can charge while it drives a screen?
- Which Android version are you on, and has your phone maker rolled out the desktop features yet?
- Will the apps you need run in resizable windows?
Bottom line
Non-Samsung owners now have more than one way to get a desktop-style setup from a phone. A free app can get you started, and Google’s own desktop mode is arriving on supported Pixels. We have not tested these apps ourselves, so the details here come from the sources linked above. Read the original Android Police article for the author’s full walkthrough.
Related reading on Elvion Pulse: best Android phones in New Zealand.
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