Android 15 improves the Pixel Fold's external display with apps

The Google Pixel Fold is picking up some new tricks with Android 15, with the second developer preview adding an option to keep apps running on the external screen when the device is locked.

In Android 15 DP2, Google has already made one improvement for the big screen by bringing back the persistent taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Moreover, the company is also adding some foldable improvements.

One of these we won't see for a while, as Android 15 will allow apps to tell the operating system whether they can run on an external, “flip-able” display.

The other is on the Pixel Fold that runs Android 15 DP2. Google has added an option to allow apps to continue running on the external display when the device is locked. This is not the default behavior, but a new settings menu that allows users to choose between “Never open apps” on the external screen – which is the current behavior – or “Always” continue the app on the external screen, or require a swipe up to keep the app running. The new settings were spotted by Robot police The guide who installed the update.

This same functionality is also present in the OnePlus Open, and was also present in previous Oppo foldable devices.

Although not everyone will find this useful, it's great that Google is adding this option. For now, it looks like this will only be present in Android 15, as it has yet to appear in Android 14 betas. However, with the Pixel Fold 2 on its way, it appears that reasonable future Android 14 upgrades could provide the functionality, and has supported Google briefly Googled a similar version of this in QPR1.

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