Google is working on an innovation that will make multitasking more practical on Android tablets. With the new “desktop windowing” feature, users will be able to freely resize apps and place them as they want on the screen. This feature, available in the developer preview, also allows multiple windows to be opened in supported apps.
Currently, apps on Android tablets open in full-screen mode by default. However, when the new mode is activated, each app will open in a window, with options to resize, move, maximize or close these windows. A taskbar with running apps will also appear at the bottom of the screen. This taskbar will make it easier to quickly switch between multiple tasks.
A feature to rival Samsung and Apple?
The new feature is very similar to Apple’s “Scene Manager” feature for iPads. Similarly, windows can be resized and moved freely on the screen on iPads. At the same time, Samsung’s long-standing DeX experience for Galaxy phones and tablets offers a desktop-like window management system. Google’s move aims to bring Android tablets a step closer to the desktop experience by providing more flexibility on these devices.
When the new feature is released to the general public, you’ll be able to activate window mode by long-pressing the window bar on an app screen. Keyboard-connected users will be able to use the “Meta” (Windows, Command, or Search) + Ctrl + Down arrow combination to open desktop mode. To exit this mode, simply close all active applications or drag a window to the top of the screen.
Google notes that apps that run only in portrait mode can still be resized, but that this can create visual inconsistencies due to some apps not being optimized. The company plans to address this issue in a future update. In this update, the UI of apps that cannot be resized will be scaled to maintain the aspect ratio.
For now, the feature is available as a developer preview in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 for Pixel Tablet users. It is not yet clear when the feature will be made available to the general public or if it will come to devices like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.