Google Chrome Updated With Improved Support for Android’s New Desktop Mode: Report

Google appears to be working to enhance Chrome's compatibility with Android's new Desktop Mode. This new feature, which is reportedly in developer preview with Android 16 QPR1, offers a PC-like interface when a compatible Pixel phone is connected to an external display. It transforms the Android UI into a multi-window layout. To enable this, Chrome will reportedly switch the browser's user agent when connected to an external display automatically, to load desktop versions of websites instead of mobile layouts by default. The latest move is part of Google's broader push to make Desktop Mode an alternative to traditional PCs.

Chrome Could Make it Easier to View Sites in Desktop Mode

Google's Android 16 QPR1 offered the Desktop Mode that transforms the experience when a compatible Pixel phone is connected to an external display. Instead of mirroring the screen, this mode allows apps to run in resizable, freeform windows by default.

Android Authority reports that Google is testing a new Chrome feature for Android that automatically requests the desktop version of websites when the browser is used in the newly introduced Desktop Mode. This allows users to see full desktop-style layouts by default, rather than mobile versions.

With the latest update, Google Chrome reportedly shows its full tab strip at the top, similar to a desktop browser. This tab strip is now integrated into the window's title bar, appearing alongside the minimize, maximize, and close buttons. Google introduced this new look using new desktop windowing APIs in Android, giving Chrome a fresh coat of paint in Desktop Mode.

Many responsive websites adjust to make use of the larger screen when connected to an external display. However, some sites continue to show their mobile versions because Chrome's user agent string doesn't change in Desktop Mode.

Google is said to be addressing this issue by testing a new Chrome flag that automatically switches to a desktop user agent when the browser is used on an external display. This eliminates the need to select “Desktop site” for every webpage, instead the browser will automatically request the desktop version whenever the user is Android's Desktop Mode, streamlining the experience.

The publication has also shared a demo video highlighting how this change will improve the site layouts in Desktop Mode. YouTube shifts its bottom navigation tabs to a side panel, adopting the desktop-style interface. On Reddit, the site expands its search bar, resizes post, and displays recommended communities, to mirror the full desktop experience.