How to Run Samsung DeX on a Mac (One UI 8, No Monitor Needed)

Samsung quietly discontinued the official Samsung DeX app for Windows and Mac, and for a while the only way to get the DeX desktop was to plug your Galaxy phone into a real monitor. That changed with One UI 8 (Android 16): DeX is now built on Android's native Desktop Mode, which can run on a virtual display — and that means you can put the whole DeX desktop in a window on your Mac, with nothing but a USB cable (or even just WiFi).

This guide shows you how, start to finish. It takes about ten minutes, uses only free and open-source tools, and needs no external monitor, no HDMI cable, and no HDMI dummy plug. TL;DR — Install scrcpy + adb, enable USB debugging on your Galaxy phone, and run scrcpy --new-display=1920x1080/160. The DeX desktop opens in a Mac window. Prefer a one-click menu-bar app? Use DeXBar. What you need • A Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet running One UI 8 (Android 16) or newer. This is the key requirement — older One UI versions can't render DeX on a virtual display, so this method simply won't work on them. • A Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel), macOS 13 or later. • A USB cable (used at least once; wireless is possible afterward). • Homebrew, the macOS package manager. Why this works now (the short version)

DeX used to require a physical HDMI/DisplayPort connection because Android only entered desktop mode when it detected an external screen. Android 16's Desktop Mode added support for virtual displays — displays that exist only in software. The open-source tool scrcpy (v4.1+) can create one of these virtual displays on demand and mirror it to your computer. One UI 8's DeX renders onto that virtual display, and you see it in a window on your Mac. No hardware trickery required. Step 1 — Install scrcpy and adb

Open Terminal and run:

scrcpy does the mirroring; adb (Android Debug Bridge) is how your Mac talks to the phone. Step 2 — Enable USB debugging on your phone Go to Settings → About phone and tap Build number seven times to unlock Developer options. Go to Settings → Developer options and turn on USB debugging. Step 3 — Connect and authorize

Plug the phone into your Mac with the USB cable. A prompt appears on the phone asking to Allow USB debugging — check "Always allow from this computer" and tap Allow.

Confirm your Mac sees the phone:

You should see your device listed as device (not unauthorized). If it says unauthorized, unlock the phone and approve the prompt. Step 4 — Launch Samsung DeX on your Mac

Run:

A window opens on your Mac showing the full Samsung DeX desktop — taskbar, resizable windows, and all. Control it with your Mac's keyboard and mouse. • 1920x1080 is the virtual display resolution. Bump it to 2560x1440 for more space. • 160 is the DPI (density). Lower DPI = smaller UI, more room; higher DPI = bigger UI. 160 is a good desktop-like default; try 140–200 to taste.

That's it — you're running DeX on your Mac. Optional: run DeX over WiFi (no cable)

Once it works over USB, you can go wireless as long as the phone…