Samsung DeX Like Feature come to Google Pixel 8

Google has recently introduced a new beta update in the Android 14 QPR 3 (Quarterly Platform Release). It is a dedicated software update for Pixel devices. With the latest software update, the company has brought several new features and improvements to the device. In this plethora of information, there is a new attractive feature spotted in pixel devices that enables users to mirror the screen on a monitor or TV.

Google brings Samsung DeX-like functionality to Pixel devices

According to the Android Authority, Google has enabled Samsung DeX-like functionality for the Pixel 8 series devices exclusively. The feature is spotted in the latest Android 14 QPR 3 beta 2. After installing it on your Pixel device, now when you connect the device to an external screen through a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to HDMI adapter, you will get a “mirror display” option.

Once you tap on the “mirror display,” your device’s screen will start showing on the external display. However, it is currently not able to provide a full desktop experience like Samsung DeX. According to the report, if you enable the “force desktop mode” from the develop option, then your phone will show Android’s built-in desktop mode, but it is currently in a locked state and bound behind several flags.

However, as the option was previously available in raw form, there is a high chance that the company will introduce it in the coming days. Probably Google will make it exclusively available with the next Pixel device, the Pixel 9 series with Android 15. 

Meanwhile, the older Pixel device will never be upgraded to support DisplayPort Alternate Mode because of hardware limitations; however, it is still possible to enable a mirror display on an external screen by connecting them with the special Display Link adapters that can enable the display output.

It is worth noticing that the feature is available in the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update, which will be available for Pixel users who have already enrolled their device in the beta program, while for the public, it should be available with the upcoming stable update, which could be available in the next couple of months.