Desktop Mode

1 Activation and Access

Desktop Mode can be activated in several ways:

• Quick Tool: tap the Desktop icon in Quick Tools on Home.
• App drawer shortcut: use the kwiq_desktop shortcut.
• Rotate to landscape: if configured, rotating the device to landscape automatically opens Desktop.
• External display: when connecting an HDMI screen, Kwiq can start Desktop automatically.

The activity opens in landscape with reduced screen density (0.78x scale) and a 0.92x font scale, creating a roomier workspace.

2 Taskbar

The taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen and offers:

• Start Menu: the Kwiq icon in the left corner opens the menu.
• Open windows: icons for active windows in the center.
• Clock: date and time in the right corner.
• Quick Tools: quick tools (search, wallpaper, recording, etc.) next to the clock.
• Leave Desktop: a dedicated control to return to normal mode.

3 Start Menu

The Start Menu follows the classic Windows style, with:

• Apps: a list of apps organized by the categories already created in Kwiq (if any).
• Alphabetical order: apps listed alphabetically within each category.
• Search: a search field to find apps quickly.
• Contacts: quick access to favorite contacts.
• Files: a shortcut to open the File Manager.
• Power: options like "Leave Desktop", "Lock Screen", "Shut Down" (when supported).

The menu follows the same categories you configured in the launcher, keeping things consistent.

4 Floating Windows

Desktop manages internal windows that can be:

• Moved: drag the title bar to reposition.
• Resized: drag the edges or corners to change the size.
• Minimized: collapsed to the taskbar, taking up less space.
• Maximized: expanded to fill the whole screen.
• Stacked: each window has a zIndex for overlap control.

Supported window types:

For non-Kwiq apps, window behavior follows Android's support for multiple windows (split-screen, freeform).

5 Screen Density

Desktop Mode applies a reduced screen density to maximize usable space:

• Density scale: 0.78x normal size — elements get smaller, but more fits on screen.
• Font scale: 0.92x normal size — text is slightly smaller for better use of space.

This is applied via a DesktopDensity composable, which adjusts the density configuration only for Desktop Mode, without affecting the rest of the system.

6 External Display

Kwiq supports secondary displays connected via HDMI (USB-C to HDMI) or Miracast:

• SecondaryDisplayActivity: manages the content shown on the external display.
• SecondaryDisplayPresentation: uses Android's Presentation API to render on another screen.

Display modes:

• Normal: mirrors the launcher on the external display.
• Desktop: shows Desktop Mode on the external screen.
• Gaming: shows Gaming Mode on the external screen.

• Auto-reconnect: if the app loses focus, it automatically tries to reconnect to the external display.
• Secondary cursor: an independent cursor for the external screen, managed by KwiqSecondaryCursorState.

To set it up, connect the display and choose the desired mode in Kwiq Settings > "External Display".

7 Bluetooth Cursor (Pointer)

The KwiqPointerAccessibilityService is an accessibility service that lets you control the device with a cursor, ideal for use with a Bluetooth mouse in Desktop Mode.

Activation

• Connect a Bluetooth mouse to the Android device.
• Enable "Kwiq Pointer" in: Android Settings > Accessibility > Kwiq Pointer.
• In Desktop Mode, the cursor will appear and respond to mouse movement.

Features

• Click: left button (48ms tap) and right button (520ms tap).
• Scroll: vertical and horizontal scrolling in any direction.
• Keyboard: key injection via keyPress/keyRelease.
• Text: copy, cut, and paste text via injectText (clipboard + ACTION_PASTE).
• Lock screen: GLOBAL_ACTION_LOCK_SCREEN.
• Select all: a keyboard shortcut for full selection.

This service is what lets a Bluetooth mouse drive Desktop Mode with a real pointer, right click and scroll.

8 Usage with scrcpy

To drive Desktop Mode from a computer, you can mirror a virtual display with scrcpy:

1. Connect the device to the computer via USB.
2. Create a virtual display with scrcpy:
3. On the device, the virtual display appears as a secondary screen.
4. Open Kwiq's Desktop Mode and drag the window to the virtual display (or set Kwiq to open Desktop on the external display).
5. On the computer, the scrcpy window shows Desktop in action with native performance.

For a wireless setup with scrcpy:

9 Tips and Shortcuts