Wireless DeX for PC now works with Galaxy devices running One UI 3.1

This story was originally published 2021/02/04
12:45 pm PSTon February 4, 2021 and last update 2/21/25
10:14 PSTon February 25, 2021.

When Samsung announced that DeX would be wireless in One UI 2.5, which was featured on Note20, I was excited. Up to that point, I had barely touched the application because of the need to connect my phone to the PC. Unfortunately, the wireless DeX only worked with compatible TVs and monitors, leaving most computers in the cold. Now, with One UI 3.1, that has finally changed.

The first thing you need to do to start using wireless connectivity is to upgrade to the latest version of the DeX client on your PC. After that, press the DeX shortcut in the quick settings on your phone and choose DeX on the PC. You will then find the desired device in the list and connect. At this point, you will receive a connection prompt on the PC itself – it is worth mentioning that this does not work if you have Link for Windows connected, so you will need to turn it off before opening DeX.

After everything is connected, you will have the same DeX experience you’re used to, although it’s limited to 1080p in wireless mode. When I tried to do this with my TV, everything was slow and stuttering – on the PC, on the contrary, it was not the case. The entry delay is minimal, but I still wouldn’t play in this mode; wired is still the way to go for this. But if you want to access your files or start a presentation stored on your phone, no problem.

Unfortunately, S Pen support is not working as you expected. Your phone can still be used normally when connected to a PC like this, and that’s great on the one hand, as I can do my work on DeX while browsing social media on my phone. But if you open Samsung Notes and enter the drawing mode on the PC, it will use your mouse – you cannot pick up the phone and start drawing with your S-Pen. This seems like a missed opportunity, especially now that the S Pen has reached the S series mainstream.

If you want to use DeX wirelessly on a PC, you’ll need a flagship Galaxy phone running One UI 3.1. It is strange that Samsung tablets are excluded from this feature, but I hope that will change at some point. Compatible devices are:

With One UI 3.1 implemented on more Samsung phones, you won’t have to wait long until this feature arrives on your device.