The Android desktop mode made me long for my laptop in no time at all.

      Android 17's desktop mode has a straightforward proposition: connect your phone to a monitor, add a keyboard and mouse, and watch your pocket-sized device mimic a computer. I aimed to give this proposition a genuine trial by using it for an entire workday instead of just a quick demonstration.

      The plan was intentionally mundane: write an article, edit it, create the page in WordPress, upload necessary files, and publish it without retreating to my laptop out of fear.

      Initially, the illusion was convincing. That's where the complications began.

      When it almost appears believable

      The first hour was surprisingly manageable, which made the situation feel more suspicious. With a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and USB-C hub connected, Android desktop mode came close to resembling a true desktop experience. I had multiple browser tabs open, could edit a document, and access messaging apps.

      For a brief period, I could entertain the tidy little fantasy that many have envisioned since smartphones surpassed the laptops we relied on during our college years.

      A Pixel 8a powering a desktop setup via a USB-C hub with HDMI, keyboard, mouse, and Bluetooth speaker capabilities.

      The downside is that desktop mode only seems convenient after you've reconstructed a desk around it. My phone relied on a hub to connect the monitor, charger, keyboard, mouse, and HDMI output, ensuring they functioned seamlessly together. While Bluetooth may reduce cable clutter, it introduces the hassle of pairing devices, managing batteries, and the nagging uncertainty of whether everything will reconnect before my patience runs out.

      When portability stops meaning portable

      The argument for portability was where issues began to emerge. In theory, I could use a hotel TV as a monitor and turn my phone into a makeshift newsroom; in reality, this meant lugging around a collection of accessories and pretending that still counted as traveling light. Desktop mode addresses the issue of lacking a laptop by requiring me to simulate everything around a laptop—except for the actual laptop.

      At this stage, the inevitable question becomes difficult to ignore: Why not just bring the device that already has the screen, keyboard, trackpad, ports, battery management, and operating system tailored for this specific task?

      The frustrating answer is that Android desktop mode is still functional. I could write, create the page in WordPress, and navigate the web tools that dominate modern work. This is partly because most services are browser-based, so the phone primarily needs to display a collection of web applications without faltering.

      This may seem like a success until you actually experience it. WordPress opened, but building the page came with a patience cost. Switching between tabs, managing images, waiting for dropdowns, and using the browser as my primary workspace made even minor tasks feel a touch more deliberate than they ought to be.

      The setup didn't fail; it continually reminded me that I was operating a workaround with a monitor attached.

      When the fantasy overshadows the desk

      This is perhaps the most perplexing aspect of Android desktop mode. It is competent enough to make the fantasy feel plausible, yet rough enough that the current version seems somewhat ridiculous. Smartphones are already powerful and ubiquitous.

      A futuristic vision is easy to imagine: place the phone on a docking station, watch a full desktop environment boot up, then ignore the holograms that may be unnecessary but carry emotional significance.

      That future still excites me. I would love to see a world where the phone truly becomes the computer, instead of a makeshift laptop substitute surrounded by adapters. Android desktop mode feels like progress toward that vision, but a single step is not the final destination, regardless of the number of cables involved.

      So indeed, I wrote and created an article using my phone. I could likely do it again, which may be the most frustrating acknowledgment here. The tougher question is why I would, unless something had already gone awry.

      If the most genuine use case remains some version of "I guess, in an emergency," who is Android desktop mode really intended for?