Saturday, August 30, 2025

Samsung killed its traditional DeX mode in One UI 8, however there’s cause


Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • Samsung killed its “traditional” DeX in One UI 8, changing it with a brand new model constructed on high of Google’s native Desktop Mode in Android.
  • This transfer aligns DeX with Google’s broader effort to enhance Android’s desktop capabilities, which ought to profit DeX in the long term.
  • Nonetheless, the brand new DeX is at present a downgrade for customers, because it lacks many quality-of-life options that had been current within the traditional model.

Samsung DeX is likely one of the greatest options of One UI, letting you rework your highly effective Galaxy cellphone or pill into a conveyable PC. You merely hook up your Galaxy system to an exterior show, hearth up DeX mode, and join some equipment, and you’ve got a full desktop expertise. DeX has developed over time, however the newest One UI 8 launch brings its most vital modifications but. Samsung has killed off the “traditional” DeX expertise, changing it with a brand new model that’s arguably a downgrade for now. Nonetheless, this transformation is poised to repay handsomely sooner or later. Right here’s why.

Samsung launched DeX with the Galaxy S8 collection in 2017, over two years earlier than Google added even a rudimentary desktop mode to Android. As a result of Android natively lacked a lot of the performance DeX required, Samsung needed to make vital under-the-hood modifications to the working system. For instance, Samsung modified core Android parts so as to add its personal desktop windowing system, a devoted desktop launcher, and an improved related show expertise. This required a large effort that didn’t cease on the preliminary launch, as Samsung needed to carry these customized modifications ahead via a number of Android releases.

Samsung Dex Keyboard

Samsung is within the enterprise of promoting Android telephones and Home windows PCs (…and a ton of different issues), although, so that they have little incentive to speculate closely into remodeling Android right into a full-fledged desktop OS. Consequently, DeX has lengthy been simply “adequate” for informal customers wanting to look at media or do mild work on the go, but it surely has by no means been sturdy sufficient to completely substitute a standard PC for professionals.

Google, nevertheless, is a unique story. The corporate has spent years making an attempt to interrupt into the PC market with ChromeOS, which has seen main success within the schooling sector. However creating two working techniques concurrently is inefficient, so Google is pooling its assets to merge the 2 platforms. This effort entails bringing many Chrome OS options to Android, reminiscent of a desktop model of Chrome with extension assist, a Linux surroundings, and extra.

As a part of these efforts, Google is lastly including correct desktop windowing and a brand new related show expertise to Android. The Android 16 launch introduces a Desktop Mode with many DeX-like options, reminiscent of a taskbar on the backside and assist for freeform app home windows. This new mode is, actually, constructed on the very basis of Samsung DeX. Google and Samsung collaborated to enhance desktop windowing on Android, culminating within the new expertise we see in the present day.

With Google now creating a local desktop mode for Android, there’s now not a necessity for Samsung to keep up its personal closely modified model of DeX. Doing so can be counterproductive, requiring Samsung to continuously adapt its code to Google’s modifications and threat breaking compatibility with apps constructed for big screens. Whereas cellphone makers usually keep on with their very own software program options even after Google introduces a inventory equal, this example is completely different. Desktop Mode is poised to develop into a core a part of Google’s future Android technique, making its adoption important.

Samsung truly started this migration in One UI 6.0 with its “new” DeX mode for tablets. Whereas the corporate nonetheless provided its “traditional” DeX as an possibility then, it has eliminated it in One UI 8 to concentrate on constructing options on high of Google’s native Desktop Mode. This modification is in the end factor, because it means Samsung DeX will inherit the brand new options and enhancements Google introduces within the coming years.

Nonetheless, the preliminary transition may annoy some customers. The present model of DeX in One UI 8 lacks most of the small quality-of-life options that Samsung added to its traditional mode over time. With assist from Reddit person FragmentedChicken, we compiled the next record of variations between Samsung’s “traditional” DeX and the brand new DeX in One UI 8:

  • The toggle to Auto begin when HDMI is related has been faraway from DeX settings. Nonetheless, this has been successfully changed by the Prolonged possibility beneath Settings > Linked units > Samsung DeX > Linked show, as by default, DeX will now begin when the cellphone’s display is prolonged to an exterior show.
  • The settings for Taskbar, Keyboard, Set default audio enter, and App icon badges have been eliminated.
    • Taskbar: Can now not toggle auto cover taskbar, toggle the navigation buttons, toggle the finder (search button), toggle the keyboard language, toggle the keyboard (both on display or on cellphone), toggle the quantity, or toggle the screenshot button.
    • Keyboard: Can’t set the on display keyboard location both on the related show or the cellphone by default, can’t toggle displaying the on display keyboard when a bodily keyboard is getting used.
    • Set default audio enter: This setting made sounds play via the related TV or monitor when Samsung DeX began.
    • App icon badges: Modified how notifications had been proven on app icons, both as a small quantity or a dot.
  • The Circulate pointer to cellphone display web page has been eliminated. This setting allow you to select in the event you wished to allow mouse continuity between the cellphone and exterior show. It has functionally been changed by the Android 16 show topology characteristic that means that you can rearrange the place your cellphone and exterior show are situated in digital area. Nonetheless, mouse continuity is enabled by default now and can’t be disabled.
  • Lock DeX and exit DeX buttons had been faraway from the app drawer: The lock DeX button locked DeX, requiring you to enter your cellphone’s display lock or biometrics. The Exit DeX button allowed you to give up DeX.
  • The Pin app button has been faraway from apps’ header bars. This button allowed you to pin an app to maintain it on high of different apps you open.
  • MultiStar eliminated the “I❤️Samsung DeX” menu. The “Excessive resolutions for exterior show” possibility continues to be there in the primary MultiStar menu, however the “run many apps at similar time” which allowed you to run greater than 5 apps at a time, auto open final app which allowed you to reopen the final app you had open, and set taskbar and header bar show time possibility which lets you change the delay for displaying the header bar have been eliminated.
  • Miscellaneous habits modifications
    • You possibly can’t snap home windows to the highest anymore, however you possibly can nonetheless double click on app headers to maximise them.
    • You possibly can’t proper click on the taskbar to entry taskbar settings
    • You possibly can’t proper click on the desktop to alter how apps are sorted, clear up the desktop, or entry display zoom settings
    • Lastly, the app header bar and taskbar stay on display even in the event you’re making an attempt to look at a video in full display.

So far as we are able to inform, the one proprietary DeX parts that stay are its touchpad, wallpaper settings, S Pen integration, and wi-fi show connectivity. Thankfully, the brand new model of DeX retains many of the primary performance of the traditional expertise, so most individuals needs to be glad with it.

Whereas Samsung may add some traditional options again in future updates, there’s no assure. One factor is for certain, nevertheless: Samsung received’t be returning to its outdated DeX implementation. Nonetheless, assuming Google commits to its desktop Android plans, the longer term for the brand new model of DeX seems to be brilliant.

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