Google Reportedly Tests Screen Mirroring Feature for External Displays on Pixel 8 Series

Google has reportedly enabled the DisplayPort Alternate Mode in the Pixel 8 series with the latest Android beta update.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 13 March 2024 17:17 IST

Google Reportedly Tests Screen Mirroring Feature for External Displays on Pixel 8 Series

Photo Credit: Google

When linked to an external display via a compatible USB-C cable, the phone shows screen mirroring option

Highlights

Google enabled screen mirroring through the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update
This feature is disabled at hardware level in Pixel 7 series and lower
The addition of the feature was reportedly not mentioned in the changelog

Google Pixel 8 series has reportedly received a new feature that will finally allow users to mirror their smartphone screen on a larger external display. The feature was added to the series via the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update for Pixel devices. The update enabled the DisplayPort Alternate Mode in the smartphones by default. The addition of the feature was not mentioned in the change log, as per the report, which has led to suspicions among users that it might have been added by accident.

According to a report by Android Authority (via Mishaal Rahman), some users have begun noticing that when connecting their Pixel 8 series phone, comprising of the vanilla Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, to an external display through a compatible USB Type-C cable, a pop-up window appears asking to mirror the screen. This feature is currently only available on handsets with the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update.

The addition of this feature is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, this is the first time Google has enabled screen mirroring on any Pixel phone. The Pixel 7 series and older models had the DisplayPort Alternate Mode feature disabled at the hardware level. While the feature was enabled through hardware in the current generation, there was no accompanying software to let users trigger screen mirroring.

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Second, even when Google did add the feature, this was not mentioned in the changelog. This has led to several users wondering whether the enablement was accidental. The report highlights that if that is the case, the feature can be rolled back in the next update. However, it could be that the tech giant added screen mirroring proactively because Android 15, which is expected to be announced later this year, might introduce a new desktop mode that offers a more seamless interface with Pixel devices. For now, this is all speculative till an official announcement is made. Even if Google does permanently enable DisplayPort Alternate Mode, older Pixel phones will still not be able to use it since the feature is disabled at the hardware level.

However, not all is lost for older Pixel devices. Google recently expanded the Circle to Search feature for the Pixel 7 series through the latest Pixel Feature Drop, allowing users to perform visual look-ups just by drawing a circle on the screen.

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Google Pixel 8

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Smaller form factor makes it more comfortable to hold
Excellent and bright display
Cameras are still the best
Packed with AI features

Bad
Battery life is still not the best
Expensive
Tends to heat up under heavy load

Read detailed Google Pixel 8 review

Display 6.20-inch

Processor Google Tensor G3

Front Camera 11-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 4575mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Google Pixel 8 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Premium design, IP68 rating
Fun AI-infused software experience
Good quality cameras
Quality video recording
Impressive image editing software
Long-term commitment to software updates

Bad
Gets warm under load
Buggy camera app
Not made for gaming
Average battery life
Relatively slow wired charging

Read detailed Google Pixel 8 Pro review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Google Tensor G3

Front Camera 11-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 64-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5050mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1344x2992 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Google Pixel 8, Google Pixel 8 Pro, Android 14, Google

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More