Deskbridge › Guides › Pixel desktop mode vs DeX
Pixel desktop mode vs Samsung DeX
Both turn a phone into a desktop with windows and a keyboard and mouse. Samsung DeX runs on Galaxy phones, over a cable or wirelessly to supported TVs and monitors. Pixel desktop mode (Google calls it connected displays and desktop windowing) runs on the Pixel 8, 9 and 10 series with Android 16 QPR3 or later, and press reports describe it as wired only.
Side by side
| Pixel desktop mode | Samsung DeX | |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Connected displays, desktop windowing | Samsung DeX ("a PC-like experience", Samsung) |
| Phones | Pixel 8, 9 and 10 series (Google's list, March 2026) | Galaxy phones and tablets with DeX |
| Software | Android 16 QPR3 (March 2026) or later | One UI; for DeX in a Mac window, One UI 8 or later |
| Connect a monitor | USB-C with DisplayPort output (a DisplayPort or HDMI cable); DisplayLink docks not supported (Plugable) | Cable to a monitor or TV |
| Wireless | Not documented by Google; wired only per press | Wireless DeX to supported TVs and monitors |
| Desktop or mirror | Choose Desktop or Mirrored when you connect; Google says the mode "depends on your device and settings" | DeX and screen mirroring are separate modes |
| On a Mac | A Mac can't act as a monitor for either. Deskbridge shows DeX in a Mac window, and Pixel desktop mode as a beta not yet verified on a physical Pixel. | |
What Pixel desktop mode gives you
Per Google, connecting a supported Pixel to a monitor starts a separate desktop session with a taskbar and freely resizable windows, while the phone keeps its own screen. Apps open in desktop windowing when a keyboard and trackpad are connected, and closing every window ends the session (you can resume it from Recents). Google describes a single external display. Setup and fixes: requirements and troubleshooting.
What Samsung DeX gives you
DeX is Samsung's desktop interface for Galaxy devices: separate windows and a taskbar, built for a keyboard and mouse. Samsung treats DeX and screen mirroring as two modes. On One UI 8 and later, DeX also starts on a virtual display, which is what lets a Mac show it in a window (how DeX on a Mac works).
Which one you have
You don't choose between them: a Galaxy runs DeX, and a Pixel 8 or newer runs Pixel desktop mode. If you want either on a Mac's screen, that's what Deskbridge does, with a 7-day free trial so you can check it on your own phone.
Sources
- Android Developers Blog, "Android devices extend seamlessly to connected displays", March 3, 2026
- Android Help, "Multitask with desktop windowing & connected displays on Android" (
support.google.com/android/answer/16928875) - Pixel Phone Help, "Project your Pixel phone's screen"
- Plugable Knowledge Base, Android 16 desktop mode with a Pixel (updated August 12, 2026); Techlicious, "Pixel desktop mode" (March 26, 2026)
- Samsung support and the Samsung DeX page (as cited in our DeX guide)
FAQ
What is Pixel desktop mode?
Google's name for it is connected displays and desktop windowing. On a Pixel 8, 9 or 10 series phone with Android 16 QPR3 or later, connecting a monitor over USB-C lets you choose a desktop session with a taskbar and resizable windows, or mirroring.
Is Pixel desktop mode the same as Samsung DeX?
No. Both give you a desktop-style interface with windows for a keyboard and mouse, but they are separate products from Google and Samsung, on different phones, with different connection options.
Can I use either on a Mac?
A Mac can't be plugged in as a monitor, so neither appears on a Mac by itself. Deskbridge shows DeX in a Mac window on Galaxy phones with One UI 8 or later, and has Pixel desktop mode as a beta that hasn't yet been verified on a physical Pixel.
Either one, on your Mac's screen
Free for 7 days. Then $12, once.