Samsung's new DeX drops desktop UI on tablets, and not everyone will be happy

Android 16 introduced Google’s take on a Desktop Mode for Android, and the new version of Samsung DeX is based on it. While some of the changes are welcome, there are some downsides to the latest version of DeX. The Galaxy Tab S11 series gives us our first look at the new DeX on a tablet, and some of these updates might not sit well with everyone.

No more desktop UI on tablet screens

In One UI 8, DeX will no longer display the desktop-style UI on the tablet itself — you’ll only get it on connected displays. Instead, DeX will work as seen in the screenshot above, where you’ll get the standard Android home screen, and apps will launch in a pop-up window when opened. You’ll also have access to the standard Android taskbar, as you do when not using DeX, but the notification and quick settings shortcuts at the bottom of the screen are gone, as are the back, home, and recent app keys.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because this version of DeX already exists in One UI 7, only it’s optional rather than mandatory. Alas, One UI 8 removes the option to switch back to classic DeX.

Also gone is the quick settings toggle that lets you enter DeX, now replaced with a shortcut to connect DeX to a TV or PC wirelessly. Thankfully, the new way to enter DeX is more convenient than before. Instead of having to turn DeX on and off to switch between it and regular Android, it can now live side-by-side, and you can switch back and forth without any of your apps closing or restarting.

To access DeX in One UI 8 on the Galaxy Tab S11, open the overview screen, swipe to the right to find a desktop, and tap it. You’ll be taken back to your homescreen, now with Android’s taskbar on display. Any app you open will launch in a pop-up window, where it can be minimised, maximised, or snapped to either half of the screen.

The new way of getting in and out of Samsung DeX is great and is more touch-friendly, but removing the more desktop-inspired taskbar is a step backward.

Sure, you still have a taskbar with your app drawer, but now you have to use the regular notification and quick settings shades at the top of the screen, which aren’t the easiest to navigate with a keyboard or mouse. Likewise, you’ll have to rely on keyboard shortcuts or use the mouse to click and drag where you’d usually touch the screen to go back, home, or into the recent apps screen.

So, while this new implementation of DeX certainly has its upsides, the lack of mouse-friendly controls when not connected to an external display is disappointing. How do you feel about the changes to DeX? Let us know below.