Google is rolling out a new feature for Android tablets that introduces desktop-style windowing, allowing users to freely resize and arrange app windows. Currently available as a developer preview, this "desktop windowing" feature enables users to open multiple instances of apps if they are supported.
Under the new mode, apps no longer default to full-screen. Instead, they open in resizable windows with controls to reposition, maximize, or close them. A taskbar will also appear at the bottom of the screen, displaying running applications.
This feature resembles the iPad’s Stage Manager, which also supports resizing and repositioning windows, and is akin to desktop operating systems. Samsung’s DeX mode, which has been available for years, offers a similar desktop-like experience for Android apps on Galaxy devices.
Once fully rolled out, users will be able to activate the feature by pressing and holding the window handle at the top of an app’s screen. Those with an attached keyboard can use the shortcut meta key (Windows, Command, or Search) + Ctrl + Down to enter desktop mode. To exit, users can close all active apps or drag a window to the top of the screen.
Google acknowledges that apps designed for portrait orientation may appear oddly when resized, but plans to address this in a future update by scaling the UI of non-resizable apps while preserving their aspect ratio.
The developer preview is currently accessible through the latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 for Pixel Tablets. Details on the wider rollout and availability for devices like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold are still pending.
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