Here’s how you can use your Android 10 device as a Desktop

Desktop Modes on smartphones seem to be getting popular. We’ve had Samsung DeX and Huawei Easy Projection but now you have native support for it if you own a device with Google’s latest Android 10. Well, not really. But it is possible to emulate quite a similar experience if you know how to do it and have the right equipment.

It’s really interesting how Desktop mode in smartphones has a potential future. It will eventually render the need to buy a laptop useless as work machines, which might turn out to be economical for some users. Smartphones nowadays pack enough punch to run light to medium-duty desktop tasks. It’s quite evident they won’t be replacing gaming PCs any time soon but that day might eventually come.

As mentioned earlier, this isn’t exactly a native feature yet. You will have to fiddle with some settings and install some apps for it to work. But if it’s successful we might see it as a full-fledged feature in the future. Regardless, if you own a smartphone running the latest Android 10 OS along with a USB-C port that supports media output then you can have a desktop experience from your device. You can try it out by performing the following steps.

Things You’ll Need:

1. A smartphone with the aforementioned features.
2. A USB-C to HDMI cable.
3. A monitor with HDMI input.
4. Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse.

Procedure:

1. To start off, you need to Enable Developer Options in your phone Settings. Do it by repeatedly tapping the Build Number in About Phone. Once done, go to the Developer options, enable them and then activate Enable Freeform Windows and Force Desktop Mode from there.
2. Once done, download and install the Lawnchair Launcher app from here. You might need to activate Install from Unknown Sources for this to happen. Once done, you’ll now be able to have that desktop interface.
3. Connect your phone to a monitor with the USB-C to HDMI cable. Upon doing so, Desktop Mode will automatically be enabled. You will additionally have to grant TaskBar permissions to Display over other apps and Usage Access.
4. Connect the Bluetooth Keyboard and mouse to your smartphone and you’re good to go. You can now use your smartphone as a desktop PC running on Android 10.