In the realm of operating systems, Android has long supported split-screen app functionality, a feature that was first introduced in Android 7 Nougat. However, the ability to run apps in windows, similar to other desktop OS systems, has been limited to ChromeOS supporting Android apps or Samsung DeX, which is not an official Google solution.
Recently, with Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 (an incremental update from Android 15), the support for running apps in windows has made its debut, but only on tablets. Apps will initially open in full-screen mode by default, but users can “drag” the top edge of the app to shrink it into a window (or use the Windows/Command + Control + Down shortcut on the keyboard). Once in desktop space mode, the subsequent apps that are called up will open in windows instead of full-screen. There are various ways to exit desktop mode, such as closing all windows, dragging the window edge back up to the top screen edge, or using keyboard shortcuts.
Google has rolled out this feature for app developers to test how well their apps perform in windows. If an app has been optimized for large screens before, only minor adjustments may be necessary. For developers without access to a tablet, they can utilize the Pixel Tablet emulator in Android Studio Preview as an alternative.
TLDR: Android now supports running apps in windows on tablets with the latest update, allowing for a more desktop-like experience and improved multitasking capabilities.
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