None of the Pixel phones released in the previous several years have allowed users to connect an external display to the USB-C port. However, Google has now allowed display output on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro using the most recent Android 14 beta.

The hardware required for display output was included in some earlier Pixel devices, but it was fully disabled. Google left the feature on the Pixel 8 series a little bit closer to live, but connecting an external display did not resolve the issue.

However, with the release of Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2, it is now possible to mirror the Pixel 8’s screen to an external monitor over USB-C.

With the most recent Android beta, Android Authority verified that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro allow connecting to an external monitor without any changes. The phone now prompts you to choose whether to “mirror to external display” when it is plugged into a display. The screen of your Pixel is then visible in the center of the connected monitor, with the wallpaper extending to fill in the remaining blank area.

This occurs while Android continues to develop “Desktop Mode,” an idea that has been cooking for a long.

It’s unclear if this will coincide with the official release of Android 14 QPR3 later this year, but it’s a significant step toward official display output compatibility for Pixel devices.