How To Use Android's Desktop Mode To Turn Your Phone Into A Tiny PC

You can plug recent Pixel phones into a monitor to get a desktop-style interface.

Elvard project/Shutterstock

For years, the idea of smartphones connected to a monitor offering a desktop experience has fascinated manufacturers, developers and (to some extent) consumers. But hardware experiments like Asus' PadFone and the Motorola Atrix Lapdock didn't catch on with users as vendors expected.

Companies took to software experiences in their attempts to grant desktop-grade functionality. Microsoft's short-lived Continuum feature for Windows 10 Mobile was discontinued…