According to Android Authority (via Mishaal Rahman), Google has flipped the script with the recent release of Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, enabling the DisplayPort Alternate Mode by default on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Because of this, users now see a “mirror display” option when connecting a compatible USB-C cable or adapter.
Pixel phones have historically lacked DisplayPort Alternate Mode. This feature uses the USB-C port to transmit video signals, simplifying connections for laptops and mobile devices. On Pixel devices released before the 8 series, this functionality was actually disabled on a hardware level, requiring a special DisplayLink adapter if you really wanted to use it.
However, with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google quietly added this capability back to the hardware while still not offering a native software option to use it, unless you enabled it with root access… until now. As discovered, Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 now automatically prompts you when you connect a compatible USB-C cable and asks if you want to mirror the display.
Of course there are caveats
Since the company did not include this feature in the changelog for QPR3 Beta 2, it remains uncertain whether this current display output enabling was intentional or if future updates will restrict it. There are theories claiming that Google has intentionally held this feature back from Pixel phones because of its lack of a mature desktop mode. This calls into question why Google would enable it now before its revamped desktop mode is officially revealed.
The Pixel 8‘s newfound screen mirroring, whether intentional or not, hints at Google’s desktop ambitions. The company’s silence makes guessing games necessary, but one thing seems clear: stock Android is getting closer to the desktop-like flexibility seen on rivals like Samsung DeX.
