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Android Q desktop mode looks incredible in this demo (Update: New footage)
Aug 15, 2025
Update, July 10, 2025 (11:45 AM ET):Developer Daniel Blandford uploaded a new video to YouTube describing howhis Android Q desktop systemhas progressed since we last saw it in May.
Based on the latestAndroid Q beta 4release, Blandford’s desktop system — now known as Flow Desktop — has some new features, some design tweaks, and some new problems. As described in the video, several bugs within Android Q are preventing Flow from being ready for primetime.
You can watch the video for yourselfhere.
Original article, August 25, 2025 (12:20 PM ET):We know for certain thatAndroid Qwill be the first version of the operating system to feature anative desktop mode, akin to whatSamsunghas done with its ownDeX platform. However, all we’ve seen so far are the basic functions of the native launcher.
Now we have a cool video from developerDaniel Blandfordin which we actually get to see Android Q’s native desktop mode in some real action. Frankly, it looks awesome.
Blandford is using theEssential Phoneflashed with the latestAndroid Q beta. The Essential Phone is wired up to a portable monitor with what appears to be a Bluetooth keyboard connected as well.
Check out the video below:
Blandford is using an experimental Android launcher of his own creation to make this all work. In other words,the launcheron the Essential Phone is customized in order to make the desktop interface on the monitor look the way it does. We learned a little bit about how this works atGoogle I/O 2019.
So far, Blandford’s layout looks great. Check out some screenshots below:
Unfortunately, this isn’t something you can try out for yourself just yet. Unless you know how to tweak your own launcher to take advantage of Android Q’s desktop mode, it won’t work at all like Blandford’s. Here is what native desktop mode looks like when you use the regular launcher on Android Q:
In addition to that looking far more boring as compared to Blandford’s layout, there’s not much else you can do with the desktop other than adding some app shortcuts and then launching those apps.
With Blandford’s testing, we get a great glimpse into what desktop mode could mean for the future of Android. Is it possible that the idea of owning a laptop could fade as we just connect our phones to a“shell” laptopand get our work done that way? It’s an exciting thought! Let us know what you think in the comments.
NEXT:Here’s every phone that’s compatible with Android Q beta 3
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