Nothing OS - Desktop Mode

JacobWhitt · 2023-10-18T15:53:14+00:00

I would love functionality with the Nothing Phone 2 that's similar to Samsung's dex. I love being able to connect to a nexdock with all of my phone apps and passwords and tabs ready as soon as I plug into a desktop mode. It wouldn't need to be wireless but via USB type C

Keyu

For anyone that doesn’t know, Desktop mode is when you connect a phone to and external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter and are able to mirror the phone onto a bigger screen or, and this is the cool part, use a desktop like environment on that other monitor. Some of the best examples of this is Samsung DeX and Motorola Ready For.

So first of all why would someone want to do this? As phones get more faster and more powerful the barrier between phones and full fledged laptops or computers become more blurred. It’s not an exaggeration to say that phones now can do 90% of activates that people use laptops for. Things like writing a paper, researching, editing, watching movies, and even some gaming can all be done on your phone very easily. But the reason most people aren’t using phones as their primary devices for laptop or computer oriented activities is because the interface is simply not as good as it is on a laptop. In a pinch it can be done but having a bigger screen as well as a keyboard and mouse for editing or writing a paper makes a world of a difference.

A couple of months ago Google pushed out a new desktop mode type environment for their Pixel 8 Pro and Android 15 is improving their desktop mode. It seems like we are finally reaching a point to where companies are remembering and updating this feature that has existed since Android 10. This could potently be a game changer for the phone and portable computer industry.

That’s why developing a desktop mode on future Nothing phones would be such a cool idea. Imagine being a student and only needing one device to do all your work on and using that same device to game or watch on. The reason I say future Nothing phones is because the Nothing Phone (1), (2), and (2a) all have USB 2.0 which, to my knowledge, isn’t capable of sending video out. You would need at least USB 3.0 or 3.1 to be able to use desktop mode.

And who knows maybe Nothing can make a laptop that is basically just a keyboard and monitor for the phone to plug into like some other similar products I have seen. And if they included a battery in it then it could charge the phone and have crazy amount of battery life. It could potentially even rival the the battery life of Apple’s MacBook’s. With the new wave of ARM laptops and the massive progress we’ve seen with the X86 to ARM transition layers, perhaps in the far future we can see X86 programs running on Android phones. If that happens then the will be pretty much nothing stopping us from having an All in One device.

AgostinoRusso

💯 spot on, this is a new take on framework where you basically upgrade the laptop by changing the phone while retaining screen/keyboard/ports which can double as power pack.

suwaidionlineuae

Desktop mode on the Nothing Phone 3 would be a game-changer, especially with ARM laptop support. It could boost productivity for users who want a PC-like experience on their phones. If nothing adds proper external display and input support, it could rival Samsung’s DeX. ARM compatibility would also open doors to lightweight computing tasks on the go. Let’s hope that nothing considers this feature in future updates. It has huge potential.
Excited to see where they take this next.

hexagonal717

Finally someone talking about Desktop mode and USB 3.2 port. This is the future. Since Android 16 will ship with linux terminal. I’ve seen people installing Gnome Desktop environment and a RealVNC Viewer app.. basically you can get a Linux Desktop Environment. But since these phones have USB 2.0 and video out. You can use SCRCPY program which mirrors your phone’s screen and then use RealVNC App to use it like a linux desktop. but yeah.. desktop mode is the future.
I have talked about this here: https://nothing.community/d/28782-usb-20-on-future-phones

Here’s a video demo of it:

suwaidionlineuae

That’s an exciting idea! A desktop mode for Nothing Phone 3 would truly elevate productivity by connecting to external displays or laptops. Hope Nothing explores this feature soon.

NorthernDualists

I really want desktop mode

VadimHuck

Yup I am down for this feature maybe later they will add it to the device, but not sure if you can do it retro activly since you need MHL feature

Kamerer1350

Software Help

There is an experimental force desktop mode in the developer menu.

However, after restarting the phone, the screen does not project onto the external display.

Does the Nothing Phone (3a) support desktop mode? Are there plans to implement such a feature in the future?

Are there any additional settings or equipment required to activate this feature?

The desktop mode was enabled on the Huawei P60 pro phone using the same hardware, including a dock, HDMI cable and TV, that I used to test the Nothing (3a).

VadimHuck

in the last community event in Berlin I talked to jenny and yes its planed to have it. But as far as I know there is no MHL support built in inside the phone. so could be bit triky since I am not sure if you can solve it with adapter or software.

Samsung for sure has a dock with MHL built in but I think the phone needs to have it too in order to work

inboxakshith

I’ve been thinking about how much potential the Nothing Phone still has, and one feature that keeps coming to mind is a proper desktop mode. With the hardware getting more powerful every year, it feels like we’re only using a fraction of what these devices are actually capable of.

A desktop mode on Nothing OS could completely change the way we use our phones on a daily basis. Imagine being able to connect your phone to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and instantly getting a clean, minimal desktop interface that aligns with Nothing’s design philosophy. It wouldn’t just be about convenience—it would be about turning your phone into a true all-in-one device.

For people who travel, work remotely, or just prefer minimal setups, this could eliminate the need to carry a laptop for basic tasks. Whether it’s replying to emails, editing documents, browsing, or even light creative work, a well-optimized desktop mode could handle it smoothly. Given Nothing’s focus on clean UI and thoughtful design, they could actually make this experience feel unique rather than just another copy of existing solutions.

It could also open up possibilities for better multitasking, resizable windows, improved productivity tools, and maybe even deeper integration with apps. If done right, this isn’t just another feature—it’s something that could genuinely differentiate Nothing from other Android brands.

Right now, it feels like a missing piece in an otherwise exciting ecosystem. Adding desktop mode wouldn’t just be a “nice to have”—it could be a defining feature that pushes Nothing Phone into a whole new category.

Would love to hear what others think—do you see desktop mode as something you’d actually use regularly, or just a cool concept?

AnAngryPig

JacobWhitt Somebody NEEDS to make a Linux distro purely for the Nothing look. 🤤

zachspademan

JacobWhitt agreed they should make one using the nothing is style

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