Samsung DeX: How to Use It on a Monitor, TV, or PC

Samsung DeX is the feature that turns your own Galaxy phone or tablet into a desktop computer on a bigger screen. We tested it on a Galaxy S24 wired to a 4K monitor over USB-C, then wirelessly to a Samsung TV. Setup takes about a minute once you know which path your hardware supports.

#What Is Samsung DeX?

Samsung DeX is a desktop mode built into modern Galaxy phones and tablets. Plug into a screen and your phone stops mirroring and shows a real desktop instead: a taskbar, resizable windows, and an app tray you drive with a mouse.

It’s not screen mirroring.

Mirroring just copies your phone’s portrait screen onto a bigger one. DeX launches a separate landscape workspace where apps open in windows you can drag, resize, and snap side by side. According to Samsung’s DeX overview, you can extend that workspace across monitors and run several apps together for genuine multitasking, which is the whole point of the feature.

The payoff is a laptop-style setup from the device in your pocket.

#Which Galaxy Phones and Tablets Support DeX?

Support has been baked into Samsung’s flagships for years. The Galaxy S9 was the first to drop the special dock requirement, and every mainstream flagship since carries DeX in software.

In practice, DeX works across the Galaxy S9 through S25 lines, the Note9 and Note10 and Note20 families, recent Z Fold models, and the Tab S5e through Tab S11 tablets. The big exception is the Z Flip series, which has limited DeX support compared with the rest of the lineup.

Not sure about your phone? Open the notification panel and look for a DeX tile. It only appears on hardware that supports the feature, so its presence is your answer. Older models can still run DeX with an official dock, but newer ones skip the accessory.

#How to Use DeX Wired to a Monitor or TV

A cable is the most reliable route. You need a USB-C to HDMI cable or adapter, plus a free HDMI port on the monitor or TV.

Plug the USB-C end into your phone and the HDMI end into the display. DeX launches within a few seconds, and your phone screen becomes a touchpad. Connect a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you have a full workstation. We tested this on a Galaxy S24 into a 4K monitor, and the desktop appeared with no prompt to confirm.

The cable itself matters. A charge-only USB-C cable carries power but not video, so the screen stays blank. A proper USB-C cable for your Samsung that supports video output is the fix.

If the display stays dark, swap the cable before blaming the phone.

#How to Use Wireless DeX on a TV

No cable? Newer Galaxy phones cast DeX straight to a compatible TV. Both devices have to sit on the same Wi-Fi network first.

Swipe down the Quick Settings panel and tap the DeX tile, or go to Settings > Connected devices > Samsung DeX > Connect wirelessly. Pick your TV from the list and tap Start now, then accept the prompt on the TV.

Samsung’s wireless DeX guide states that Wireless DeX works with 2018 and later Samsung TVs, plus any display that supports Miracast. In our testing, a wireless session to a Samsung TV took a few seconds longer to handshake than the cable did, and it stayed steady once connected.

Keep the phone near the TV. According to Samsung’s wireless DeX support page, staying within a short distance prevents the stuttering that creeps in over a weak signal.

#How to Use Samsung DeX on a PC

The DeX on PC app puts your phone’s desktop inside a window on Windows or Mac. Download the DeX app from Samsung’s site and install it first.

Connect with the USB-C cable, or go wireless if your model supports it. For a wireless session your PC and phone must share one Wi-Fi access point, and Samsung recommends a 5 GHz band for a stable link.

Open the notification panel, tap the DeX button, choose DeX on PC, pick your computer, and accept the request on the PC. When we tried it on a Windows 11 laptop, we had to turn off Link to Windows first, since the two features clash.

DeX on PC mirrors your phone to a PC you legally control and trust.

DeX on PC is the best version for office work, because you drag files between phone and computer and type on the keyboard already in front of you.

#Getting the Most Out of DeX

DeX shines when you treat it like a real desktop. Build separate workspaces for separate jobs and the windows stop fighting for room.

According to Samsung’s DeX screen guide, you can create up to 4 workspaces and run up to 5 apps at once, with the oldest minimizing if you open a sixth. That covers a browser, a document, a chat app, and email together. Among our favorite real uses: writing long emails with a physical keyboard, and running a WhatsApp backup on your Samsung on the big screen while you keep working.

Pair a keyboard and mouse and the experience tightens up fast.

Glitches happen. If a Samsung Keyboard has stopped error pops up while typing, or a com.samsung.android.incallui error interrupts a call you take mid-session, restart the session before digging deeper.

Heavy DeX use also caches a lot of files, so it helps to clear Other storage on your Samsung now and then to keep the workspace snappy.

#Bottom Line

For office work and long typing sessions, use DeX on PC over a USB-C cable. It’s the steadiest connection we tested, and dragging files between phone and computer beats every wireless option. Reach for wireless DeX to a Samsung TV when you just want a big screen for browsing or video without hunting for a cable. Either way, keep a video-capable USB-C cable handy, because a charge-only cable is the single most common reason DeX refuses to start.

#Frequently Asked Questions