New Android 16 feature could help DeX become even more flexible

Android 16 could help improve Samsung DeX with better control over external displays

Google seems to have improved external display controls with the latest beta version (Beta 2.1) of Android 16. According to a report from Android Authority, Google has introduced cursor transitions between an Android device's screen and an external (connected) display. So, you can move the cursor (or windows) from the on-device screen to an external screen and vice versa.

The company also seems to have introduced the ability to rearrange the positions of onboard and external screens. So, if your Android device is on the left and the external monitor is on the right, you can arrange the displays appropriately in Android 16.

With Android 16 Beta 2.1, Google has also introduced a toggle that lets you switch between display extension and display mirroring. When a display is extended, the onboard and the connected displays operate independently, and you can use some apps on the phone's screen and others on the connected screen. When displays are mirrored, everything you see on your phone's built-in screen will be mirrored on the external display.

Moreover, just like Macs, PCs, and Linux-based computers, Android now supports adjusting the size of icons and text. It has also been reported that Google is working on a way to adjust the refresh rate of internal and external screens independently.

Watch how Samsung DeX works when connected to an external monitor wirelessly.

The first stable version of Android 16 might not have this feature. However, Google said it would release a feature-packed mid-cycle upgrade for Android 16 in mid-2025, and desktop UI improvements might come with that update.