- Google is improving Android’s still-in-development Desktop Mode by adding the ability to pin apps to the taskbar for quick access.
- A new “pin to taskbar” shortcut appears in an app’s context menu, letting you add it to the dock for easy launching even after it’s closed.
- This is a small but necessary step in Google’s effort to make Android a more viable desktop competitor, especially against platforms like the iPad.
Android finally has a proper Desktop Mode that transforms your Pixel phone into a PC… in theory, at least. Android’s Desktop Mode is still a work-in-progress, as it lacks many features found on other desktop operating systems. Google is diligently working to close that gap, though, and with the latest Android Canary release, the company has added a basic but essential feature for managing the apps on your taskbar.
In the first Android Canary build released last week, we noticed the desktop mode launcher now shows a “pin to taskbar” shortcut in an app’s drawer context menu. Clicking this adds the app to the dock, allowing you to launch it easily even after it’s been closed. To unpin an app, you can either drag its icon off the dock (from your phone or tablet’s screen) or use the “unpin from taskbar” option in the app’s taskbar context menu.
