Extended Display

Launcher 4 now supports a proper Extended Display functionality to allow mobile device users to connect devices to a large monitor and peripherals.

Overview

The Extended Display feature allows Android devices to function as desktop replacements in user locations, e.g. stores, warehouses, healthcare facilities, etc. Using this feature, it extends the capability of a mobile device to have a highly functional user interface to view more content on a larger screen resulting in higher productivity.

When docked on a display cradle, the Android device serves as the Primary Display, while the connected computer monitor becomes the Secondary Display. Manufacturer docking hardware such as Zebra Workstation Connect dock, Honeywell Display Dock and DisplayLink-based docks are generally compatible.

Secured Zone Extended Display UI with a cradled device

Multi-display support in Android refers to the operating system’s ability to manage multiple physical or virtual displays and allow applications to render content independently on these displays.

User Guide

1. Place the device on the display cradle.

2. The monitor will show the BlueFletch Extended Display layout, mirroring the applications running on the device. For instance, if the BlueFletch chat app is open, it will automatically appear on the secondary display when the device is docked.

3. Login using your username and password on the screen or if configured, via NFC tap-to-login functionality on the device.

4. Utilize the connected peripherals, i.e. keyboard and mouse, to navigate through the interface and perform the necessary tasks.

When docked, user session for the main display and secondary display is always in sync.

Feature Configuration

For Launcher 4, settings for Extended Display are now in a new configuration block. To enable this feature, set it to true within the Launcher configuration file. Extended Display feature is disabled by default.

"extendedDisplaySettings": {
    "enabled": true,
    ...
}

Taskbar Elements

Upon user authentication, some taskbar elements can be configured in Extended Display.

Field	Description
App Drawer Button	Opens the App Drawer with all available applications.
Battery Icon	Mirrors the device’s battery status. Displays the battery percentage when hovered.
Date and Time	Shows the device’s current date and time. Opens the calendar when clicked.
Lock Screen	Locks both the device and extended display. Appears only when the user is logged in. Requires re-authentication using a PIN or NFC when clicked.
Login/Logout Button	Starts the login or logout process.
Logo	Displays the organization logo for brand recognition after the user logs in.
Notification	Displays notifications when secure notifications are enabled and the user is logged in. Shows all available notifications when clicked.
Recently Open Applications Icons	Shows icons for recently opened apps or shortcuts. Brings the app to the front when clicked.
User Profile	Displays the logged-in user’s name. Provides configuration, license, and device ID details when clicked.
Wi-Fi Icon	Reflects the device’s connectivity status. Shows detailed information when hovered.
Widgets Button	Opens the container with all available widgets.

Extended Display Layout Settings

Using extendedDisplayLayoutSettings, the admin can configure the secondary display layout based on their preferences, primarily due to the standard screen size provided to their users.

Field	Description
columns	Specifies the number of columns in the secondary display for application icons. If not specified, the default is 14.
appDrawerColumns	Specifies the number of columns in the extended display application drawer. If not specified, the default is 3.
appDrawerRows	Specifies the number of rows in the extended display application drawer. If not specified, the default is 6.
sideBarWidgetColumns	Specifies the number of columns in the widget container. The widget container is located at the right side of the secondary display screen. If not specified, the default is 3.
folderColumns	Specifies the number of columns in an application folder. If not specified, the default is 6.
iconSize	Allows the organization to specify the size of the icons on the extended desktop. Values are extraSmall, small, medium (default), large, or extraLarge
showLabel	Shows the app icon labels. If not specified, the default is true.

"extendedDisplayLayoutSettings" : {
    "columns": 14,
    "appDrawerColumns": 3,
    "appDrawerRows": 6,
    "sideBarWidgetColumns": 3,
    "folderColumns": 6,
    "iconSize": "normal",
    "showLabel": true
 }

Configuring Extended Display Wallpaper

If extendedDisplayWallpaper is not configured, the Extended Display screen will default to the user's Launcher wallpaper. To set a custom Extended Display wallpaper, configure it within the Launcher configuration file. Select a wallpaper from the device's local storage or an online source. See the example below:

"theme": {
    "enable": true,
    "accentColor": "#007DB7",
    "darkTheme": false,
    "blurRadius": 5,
    "blurPasses": 0,
    "consistentButtonShape": false,
    "buttonCornerRadius": 8,
    "logo": "assets:logo",
    "wallpaperImage": "default_dark",
    "extendedDisplayWallpaper": "assets:extendedDisplayWallpaperMain"
 },

If your chosen wallpaper is dual-tone, the app text will automatically change to white to ensure readability and maintain visibility.

Customizing Company Logo

The organization logo is a configurable taskbar element in Extended Display. It allows the company logo or icon to be displayed in the taskbar's secured zone, providing brand recognition. The logo is clickable and, when configured, launches a specified URL. This feature becomes visible once the user successfully logs in.

Field	Description
logo	The icon to be displayed on the taskbar's secured zone.
url	The company website or any desired link to be opened in the specific browser.
package	The application that will be used to open the provided url .

"extendedDisplaySettings": {
    "enabled": true,
    "taskBar": {
      "logo": "assets:extendedDIsplayTaskBarLogo",
      "logoIntent": {
        "url": "https://bluefletch.com/",
        "package": "com.android.chrome"
      }
    }
  }

Putting it All Together

"extendedDisplaySettings": {
    "enabled": true,
    "taskBar": {
      "logo": "assets:extendedDIsplayTaskBarLogo",
      "logoIntent": {
        "url": "https://bluefletch.com/",
        "package": "com.android.chrome"
      }
    }
  },
  "extendedDisplayLayoutSettings": {
    "columns": 14,
    "appDrawerColumns": 3,
    "appDrawerRows": 6,
    "sideBarWidgetColumns": 3,
    "folderColumns": 6,
    "iconSize": "normal",
    "showLabel": true
}

Open Zone Extended Display UI with the Widget Container

Device & OS Compatibility

Some devices and OS versions do not support multi-display capabilities, for instance a Zebra TC26 device with Android 13 LifeGuard patch of HE_FULL_UPDATE_13-26-09.00-TG-U03-STD-HEL-04 multiple display was not supported, but updating to the latest Android 13 LifeGuard patch will resolve the issue. We recommend that devices should update to the latest LifeGuardPatch to resolve the issue on certain devices.

Supported Devices and OS

Based on our available device testing, here is a list of respective manufacturers and device models that support Extended Display.

Manufacturer	Device Model	Android OS
Zebra	TC26	A11 A13
	TC27	A11 A13
Honeywell	EDA10	A12

Unsupported Devices and OS

Based on our available device testing, here is a list of respective manufacturers and device models that do not support Extended Display.

Manufacturer	Device Model	Android OS
Zebra	TC26	A14
	TC27	A14
Honeywell	CT40	A10

These device models may support Extended Display, but will depend on the respective device support provided by the manufacturer's firmware.

Samsung devices that do not support Samsung Dex will not work with Extended Display functionality.