Enhancing Smartphone Desktop Mode Usability: A User-Centered Study and Adaptive System Proposal

Smartphone desktop modes offer an alternative computing interface by transforming mobile devices into desktop-like environments when connected to external displays. However, adoption remains limited due to discoverability challenges, inconsistent app behavior, and suboptimal input device support. This paper presents a survey-based study conducted in Malaysia, investigating user experiences with existing mobile desktop systems. The results reveal several key limitations affecting usability and performance. In response, we propose the Adaptive Mobile-Desktop Interface System (AMD-IS) - a modular framework designed to address these limitations via five core components: context-aware display detection, input compatibility abstraction, app layout adaptation, performance monitoring, and personalized user preferences. The proposed system aims to deliver a seamless, intelligent transition from smartphone to desktop mode.