Google has been engaged on desktop windowing for a very long time, and it’s finally being debuted on Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 with the Pixel Pill.
Google describes it as such:
Desktop windowing permits customers to run a number of apps concurrently and resize app home windows, providing a extra versatile and desktop-like expertise. This, together with a refreshed System UI and new APIs, permits customers to be much more productive and creates a extra seamless, desktop-like expertise on tablets.
The taskbar is “fastened and reveals the working apps,” whereas customers are in a position to pin purposes. There’s additionally a brand new “header bar with window controls on the high of every window which apps can customise” on the top-right nook. The defaults are fullscreen or shrink window and shut the app.
Google says all “apps open in full display on Android tablets” by default. After enabling the freeform mode in Settings, you will notice a “window deal with on the high in the midst of the display.” A faucet names the app and allows you to swap between fullscreen, splitscreen, and windowing. Alternatively, you possibly can press and maintain the deal with and drag it down to begin windowing.
When a bodily keyboard is paired, there’s additionally: (Home windows, Command, or Search) + Ctrl + Down.
After that, “all future apps will probably be launched as desktop home windows as effectively.”
- “You’ll be able to exit desktop windowing and show an app as full display by closing all energetic home windows or by grabbing the window deal with on the high of the window and dragging the app to the highest of the display. You may as well use the meta + H keyboard shortcut to run apps as full display once more.”
- “To return to the desktop, transfer a full display app to the desktop house through the use of the strategies talked about above, or just faucet on the desktop house tile within the Recents display.”
Different observations in our testing:
- You resize home windows from any nook
- The taskbar might be hidden
- Double-tap the header bar to fast increase and shrink apps
- The desktop windowing surroundings seems as an “app” within the Recents multitasking menu you can return to
With Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, Google is launching desktop windowing as a developer preview on the Pixel Pill:
You’ll be able to attempt it out on Pixel Pill earlier than it’s launched to AOSP extra broadly.
To get began, go to Settings > System > Developer choices > Allow freeform home windows.
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