Samsung DeX finally gets multi-monitor support on the Galaxy Tab S11

Samsung DeX is one of the best desktop modes on mobile and has been a useful tool since it was introduced on the Galaxy S8. Samsung overhauled DeX in One UI 8, basing it on Android 16’s new Desktop Mode, but there are more new features to come. The Galaxy Tab S11 gives DeX users a long-requested multi-monitor feature.

At last, multi-monitors

A second monitor is one of the easiest ways to boost productivity, and it’s something that’s been sorely missing from DeX until now. Starting with One UI 8 on the Galaxy Tab S11 series, you’ll be able to use the tablet screen as a secondary display when you’ve plugged it into your monitor. Until now, the DeX experience on a connected display has been in a separate sandbox from the tablet display, which shows your normal home screen or a virtual trackpad.

Once you’ve connected the Tab S11 to your monitor, you’ll be able to move app windows across the two displays, drag and drop files, and everything else you’d want from a desktop platform. The experience isn’t quite what we’d expect, though, as the tablet home screen will remain in place and will not mirror DeX’s UI with the taskbar at the bottom of the display. That’s unfortunate, but a minor caveat to what should be a major upgrade to using Samsung DeX.

Using your tablet’s screen as a second monitor is a part of the Desktop Mode Google added to Android 16, as seen in Google’s Demo video. This will be our first time seeing it in person, though, as the Pixel tablet lacks display output. So, all Android tablets that support display output and run Android 16 should be able to be used this way.

Are you looking forward to using Samsung DeX on the Tab S11? Let us know in the comments.