How to Run DeX on Your Z Fold for FREE
A few days ago, I shared an intriguing app called Gadesk. It allows you to run desktop interfaces like Samsung DeX directly on your device display rather than having to plug into an external monitor. Being able to launch full DeX right on the inner screen of a foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold is pretty compelling, and a lot of you were excited about the possibilities. Today, we are looking at another app that does something very similar, but with a few crucial distinctions.
The app is called DexTop, and the headline feature here is that it is completely open-source. There is no trial timer running in the background, no one-time in-app purchase required to unlock features, and zero ads to dodge. It is simply open-source software. There is also a bit of drama floating around online, where the developer of DexTop pointed out code snippets inside Gadesk referencing DexTop, questioning why an open-source project's code appears inside a closed-source paid app. You can dig into that exchange yourself if you are curious, but our focus today is simply finding out how well DexTop actually works.
Getting Everything Set Up
Getting DexTop running takes a few steps, but the process is straightforward. First, grab the standard release from the DexTop GitHub repository. You will want the main application file, not the car companion version.
Before diving into the app itself, you need to enable Developer Options on your phone. Head into your main Android settings, scroll down to About Phone, tap Software Information, and repeatedly tap Build Number until the system notifies you that developer mode is active.
Once that is done, open the DexTop app, grant notification permissions, and move to the wireless debugging setup. DexTop will prompt you to open your system wireless debugging menu. Make sure wireless debugging is switched on, select the option to pair your device with a pairing code, and note the numeric code that appears. A pairing notification will pop up from DexTop, so simply enter that code into the reply prompt, send it, and confirm the device configuration.
Dialing in the Resolution
Launching directly into DeX, the interface boots up immediately. By default, DexTop uses an on-screen cursor, though you can easily switch that over to standard tap input through the control overlay. The immediate hurdle is scaling. Out of the box, the UI elements are tiny.
Bumping the internal DPI scale alone can sometimes cause the desktop view to fail to render, so the best approach is manually tweaking the custom resolution. Taking it down in steps helps find a readable balance. Dialing the display to around 1632 x 1232 hits a sweet spot on the inner screen, making the desktop readable, comfortable, and easy to interact with.
Once that sweet spot is dialed in, the experience falls right into place. You can fire up a browser, drag and resize windows, snap Feedly to one edge, and multitask between apps seamlessly. The control overlay also provides quick toggles to reload the interface, rotate the display, flip it 180 degrees, or cast the view straight to a TV. There is even an experimental laptop mode that splits the screen with a virtual trackpad on the bottom half, which is neat conceptually, even if the scaling makes it a bit awkward in real-world use.
The Desktop Experience on a Foldable
If you experiment too much with the layout toggles, you will run into some quirks where the interface drops or the resolution reverts. Thankfully, the built-in reload button usually brings everything right back. Sticking to your preferred resolution and letting the workspace do its job keeps things remarkably stable.
Pairing a portable keyboard and a wireless mouse completely transforms the device. Typing into search bars, navigating spreadsheets, and jumping between floating windows works just like a traditional workstation.
Some might wonder why this matters when modern foldables already support split-screen multitasking. The difference comes down to the workspace structure. Instead of dragging apps into split viewports designed for mobile aspect ratios, you get freeform floating windows that behave like an actual computer. Shifting from a phone layout that merely tolerates peripherals to an actual desktop layout built around mouse input alters how you use the hardware.
Ultimately, testing apps like this makes you wonder why Samsung restricts native on-device DeX to tablets while leaving foldables out of the loop. A near square 4:3 canvas works surprisingly well for productivity. While DexTop has a few rough edges, having a free, open-source method to unlock an on-screen desktop interface makes it a fantastic tool to explore.
