Google is enhancing Chrome’s compatibility with the new desktop mode on Android. This new feature, reportedly in developer preview with Android 16 QPR1, offers a PC-like user interface when a compatible Pixel phone is connected to an external display.

This feature transforms the Android UI into a multi-window design. To activate it, Chrome is said to automatically switch the user agent when connected to an external screen, loading desktop versions of websites instead of mobile layouts by default. This step is part of Google’s broader effort to make desktop mode a viable alternative to traditional computers.

Android 16 QPR1 from Google introduces desktop mode that improves the experience of using a Pixel phone with an external display. Instead of mirroring the screen, this mode allows apps to run in freely resizable windows by default.

According to Android Authority, Google is testing a new feature in the Chrome browser on Android that automatically requests desktop versions of websites when using the browser in the new desktop mode. This allows users to see full desktop layouts by default instead of mobile versions.

With the latest update, Chrome reportedly displays a full tab bar at the top, similar to the desktop browser. This tab bar is now integrated into the window’s title bar, appearing next to minimize, maximize, and close buttons. Google introduced this new look using new desktop window APIs on Android, giving Chrome a fresh touch in desktop mode.

Many responsive websites adapt to the larger screen when connected to an external display. However, some sites still show their mobile versions because Chrome’s user agent string does not change in desktop mode.

Google is said to be addressing this issue by testing a new Chrome flag that automatically switches to the desktop user agent when the browser is used on an external screen. This removes the need to select “Desktop site” for each webpage, as the browser will automatically request the desktop version when desktop mode is enabled on Android, simplifying the experience.