Android 16 improves multitasking by letting you minimize desktop windows

Tablets can comfortably fit more than one app on screen at a time thanks to their larger displays, but until recently, Android hasn’t supported opening apps in freely resizable windows, at least not without manufacturer customizations. Last December, however, Google finally introduced desktop windowing capabilities to Android, enabling tablet users to run multiple apps simultaneously in freeform windows. The initial version of the desktop windowing feature was fairly barebones, as it lacked even basic features like a minimize button. With the upcoming Android 16 update, though, Google will finally let users minimize desktop windows.

When Android’s desktop windowing mode is enabled on tablets, a small handle is added to the top of every app. Apps can be put into desktop windowing mode by dragging the handle to the center of the tablet’s display or by tapping the handle and then selecting the desktop windowing option from the menu. Once an app is open in a window, Android adds a header bar that contains the app’s icon, name, and various buttons, such as those for maximizing and closing the window.