Exclusive: Sneak Peek at Google’s Android for PC Interface Revealed in Bug Report

Google Teases Android 16 Desktop Experience

During the previous summer, Google made waves with its announcement of Android 16, which would be developed in conjunction with “ARC,” a PC mirroring and phone integration tool. A recent leak from Google’s Issue Tracker, now under restricted permissions, provides a sneak peek into the early stages of the Android-on-desktop project, known by the codename.

The discovery was first brought to light by an unnamed source through a bug report centered around Chrome incognito tabs. The report featured two screen recordings allegedly captured on an HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. These recordings showcased a ‘chrome://version/’ page revealing the operating system as Android 16. References to “ALOS” as the OS, likely an abbreviation for Aluminium OS, were also made, accompanied by a build number matching that shown in the screen recordings.

The interface displayed in the leaked videos appears to be a fusion of ChromeOS and Android design elements. Notable features include an Android-style taskbar at the bottom, a status bar at the top complete with familiar battery and Wi-Fi indicators, access to the Play Store, windowed apps, split-screen multitasking capabilities, and a version of Chrome with an extensions button—typically exclusive to the desktop iteration. Google has refrained from commenting on the leak, leaving users eager for upcoming Android 16 updates to explore the potential of this new desktop experience further.