what you need to know
- The latest Android 14 Beta contains information about the desktop mode overhaul Google is developing for Android 15.
- The overhaul will overhaul its free mode, giving users more agency in how they manage multiple windows.
- Other news for Android 15 involves its additional features for Private Spaces and a new status bar that may appear later this year.
More Android 15 content likely to hit the store shows that Google is preparing some long-awaited improvements to desktop mode.
As detailed by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman, Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 shows Google’s plans to implement a new multi-window experience. Judging from the demo video, full-screen apps now have a navigation bar-style tab at the top. Clicking on it will bring up a drop-down menu with the name of the app and some options: full screen, split screen, and free mode.
Split screen functionality works like any other Android device. It places apps on half of the display, giving users a chance to open another app. Freeform mode allows the user to determine the size of the window by dragging the rounded corners.
Additionally, testing showed that these apps get a thick title bar that contains the app’s name, maximize button, and close button. Clicking on its name will produce the previously mentioned menu full of window options.
Rahman added that users can drag windows in free-form mode to either side of the monitor to “snap” them into split-screen mode.
This desktop mode makeover may be available for Android 15; however, it’s unclear when it will roll out. The changes appear to make Android’s operating system look more polished, but as Rahman points out, it still doesn’t support keyboard shortcuts for window management or offer a fancy launcher.
Google seems to have been considering improving its Android desktop mode for a while, even in the early days of the Pixel 8. It was later discovered that the Pixel 8 series supported full display output when it was launched. While Google has disabled its functionality on the software side, there’s nothing hidden in its hardware, as users can connect a USB-C to HDMI cable to get started.
This discovery is only for features, as the Pixel 8 didn’t show appropriate Desktop mode. The device’s display is mirrored vertically onto a desktop monitor, but it’s a positive sign for more devices in the future – even more so with the latest discovery.
These findings come from Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, which started rolling out on Monday (April 1). The beta contains numerous bug fixes for some serious issues and includes information about Google’s continued development of Android 15’s “private spaces.” This feature will be a profile where users can download or lock previously installed apps.
Similar to Samsung’s Secure Folder, users can lock certain apps via PIN or other password methods to protect sensitive data.
Elsewhere, Google appears to be making improvements to the status bar in Android 15. Haptic feedback may appear in quick settings along with a new battery icon.