Google is trying out a new feature for Android tablets that makes it easier to work on multiple tasks at once. This feature, called “desktop windowing,” allows you to resize apps and move them around on your screen. It is currently only available as a developer preview, but if apps support it, you can have more than one instance open at the same time.
Typically, apps on Android tablets open in full-screen mode. But with this new feature, each app will open in a window that you can control. You can reposition, maximize, or close the app as needed. There will also be a taskbar at the bottom of the screen showing your running apps.
This feature is similar to the Stage Manager on iPads and Samsung’s DeX experience, which brings desktop-like window management to Android devices. Once the feature is available to everyone, you can activate it by pressing and holding the window handle at the top of an app’s screen. If you have a keyboard attached, you can use the shortcut meta key + Ctrl + Down to enter desktop mode.
Google has mentioned that apps locked in portrait orientation can still be resized, although they may look a bit strange if they are not optimized for it. Google plans to address this issue in a future update by scaling the UI of non-resizable apps while maintaining their aspect ratio.
The developer preview for this feature is currently available in the latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 for Pixel Tablets. There is no official release date for when this feature will be available to all users, or if it will be compatible with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Users can exit the desktop mode by closing all active apps or dragging a window to the top of the screen.
This new feature will undoubtedly make multitasking on Android tablets more convenient and efficient. Users will have more flexibility in organizing their workspace and managing multiple apps simultaneously. Keep an eye out for updates on when this feature will be officially rolled out to all Android tablet users.