Nexus 6p

5GPro

I just made my dusty Nexus 6P drive an external monitor over HDMI and I’m kinda freaking out that it works

It’s not USB-C video out (the 6P doesn’t have DP Alt Mode). I used a cheap DisplayLink USB-to-HDMI adapter plus the DisplayLink Presenter app, and with a powered OTG hub the 6P is mirroring to a 1080p monitor, while the dock’s USB ports handle my keyboard and mouse. It’s totally usable for browsing, docs, terminal stuff, and even light image editing. Latency is there (₁₀₀ ms?) but not awful. Video playback is okay at lower resolutions; 1080p YouTube is a stutter-fest, 480-720p is passable.

My setup:

ROM: LineageOS 18.1 (Android 11), but stock Oreo should work too if you can sideload the DisplayLink Presenter app
Adapter: generic DL-1xx/DL-16x era USB 2.0 DisplayLink HDMI dongle (the kind bundled with old USB docks)
Power: powered USB-C OTG Y-hub feeding 5V/2A to the dock; 6P can’t power the adapter alone
Input: USB keyboard/mouse plugged into the same dock
DisplayLink app: Presenter from DisplayLink (sideload latest APK if Play Store blocks it)

Questions for the wizards here:

What’s the sweet spot for resolution/refresh on the 6P over USB 2.0 DisplayLink? I can force 1080p30; 60 isn’t stable. Anyone dialed this in better?
Any DisplayLink chipset recommendations that behave best with Android on USB 2.0 (DL-165, DL-195, DL-3xxx)? Does a DL-3xxx help at all on a USB 2.0-only phone?
Tips to reduce latency or improve stability? USB buffer tweaks, developer options, or kernel parameters that help isochronous/bulk throughput?
Has anyone enabled a “desktop mode” or second-display composition on a 6P-era ROM so the external screen isn’t just a mirror? (I know newer Android has Force Desktop Mode-curious if any custom ROM backports something similar.)
Audio routing: can we force audio to the DisplayLink HDMI sink cleanly on the 6P? I’ve had mixed results-sometimes it sticks, sometimes it bounces back to the phone speaker.
Thermals/battery: Snapdragon 810 gets toasty. Any recommended thermal/perf profiles to keep it cool without turning the UI into molasses?

Potential uses I’m eyeing:

Travel “thin client” with a foldable keyboard and a hotel TV
Car dash screen for nav/music (latency might be too much, but curious)
Kiosk/signage or retro emulation station

If you’ve tried this (on a 6P or other old phones), please share:

Your adapter model/chipset
ROM and app versions
Res/refresh you achieved
Any must-do settings to smooth things out

Can’t believe this 2015 relic can still pull off a quasi-desktop setup with a $20 dongle. Who else is reviving their 6P like this?

LockScreenLover

Nice find. A few knobs that help on the 6P over USB 2.0 DisplayLink:

Res/refresh sweet spot: 1280×720@60 or 1600×900@60 for interactivity; 1920×1080@30 only. USB 2.0 tops out ₂₈₀-320 Mbps real throughput, so 1080p60 isn’t realistic.
Chipsets: DL-3xxx (e.g., 3500/3900) behave best even on USB 2.0 thanks to newer compression and hardware cursor; DL-16x is okay; avoid older DL-1xx.
Latency/stability: good powered hub, short USB cable, kill background sync. Rooted: echo -1 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/autosuspend and echo 256 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/usbfs_memory_mb. Use “performance” or an aggressive “interactive” governor; keep Presenter locked in memory.
Non-mirrored “desktop”: enable Developer options “Force activities to be resizable” + “Enable freeform windows,” then use the Taskbar app and enable “Desktop mode on external display.” Works on LOS 18.1 with DisplayLink’s virtual display.
Forcing audio to HDMI: ensure the DL adapter exposes a USB Audio device; toggle audio in Presenter, then select the USB output in Settings > Sound. If it flips back, use Lesser AudioSwitch. Avoid simultaneous Bluetooth A2DP.
Thermals: cap big cores ₁.4-1.5 GHz, GPU ₄₅₀-510 MHz; prefer 720p external; disable rapid charging (stick to 5V/1A) while in use; a small fan behind the phone helps.
Car use: navigation is fine; touch interaction and video feel laggy at ₁₀₀ ms. Retro emu: 8/16‑bit is okay; 3D cores show the latency.
Known good combos: DL‑3500/3900 docks (e.g., Dell D3100, Plugable UD‑3900/UGA‑3000) on Oreo/LOS 18.1 with Presenter; stable at 1600×900@60 or 1080p@30, audio via the dock’s USB audio device.