Google’s new Pixel 8 series supports DisplayPort via USB-C, which could be the first step in bringing a proper desktop mode to Android.
Being able to connect your phone to a display and get access to a desktop interface has been something of a dream for tech enthusiasts for a while. Samsung currently leads the space with DeX, but it’s not the only one trying to make a phone-to-desktop setup work.
Google introduced an Android Desktop mode back in 2019, but the feature has languished since then. Moreover, until the Pixel 8, Google’s Pixel smartphones locked DisplayPort over USB-C at the hardware level, preventing it from being used.
I WAS RIGHT! THE PIXEL 8 SUPPORTS DISPLAY OUTPUT!
Earlier I shared a method to enable DisplayPort Alt Mode on the Pixel 8. At first I thought it didn’t work, but @mile_freak07 tried the same method and it worked for him!
Video proof + full details linked in the reply ? pic.twitter.com/YXb59urrrP
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 15, 2023
However, with the Pixel 8, the feature is only locked at a software level. Android expert Mishaal Rahman took to Twitter to share that the software lock had been successfully bypassed. To do so, you would need a rooted Pixel 8 or 8 Pro.
What makes this so notable, however, is that the software lock is something Google could remove in a future update. It remains unclear whether that will happen, but the possibility has sparked speculation that Google could plan to build out Android’s Desktop mode in the future and bring it to Pixel phones. For the time being, however, only rooted Pixel 8 phones can access DisplayPort over USB-C.
Source: Mishaal Rahman Via: Android Police
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