diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsController.java
index f20d7a551d..8385485253 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsController.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import static com.android.launcher3.util.Executors.MAIN_EXECUTOR;
 import static com.android.launcher3.util.Executors.MODEL_EXECUTOR;
 import static com.android.launcher3.util.SplitConfigurationOptions.STAGE_POSITION_BOTTOM_OR_RIGHT;
 import static com.android.launcher3.util.SplitConfigurationOptions.STAGE_POSITION_TOP_OR_LEFT;
+import static com.android.systemui.shared.recents.utilities.Utilities.isFreeformTask;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.SNAP_TO_2_50_50;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.SNAP_TO_NONE;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.getIndex;
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ import com.android.quickstep.views.TaskContainer;
 import com.android.quickstep.views.TaskView;
 import com.android.systemui.shared.recents.model.Task;
 import com.android.systemui.shared.system.InteractionJankMonitorWrapper;
+import com.android.wm.shell.shared.desktopmode.DesktopModeStatus;
 import com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.PersistentSnapPosition;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -337,10 +339,12 @@ public class AppPairsController {
      *   c) App B is on-screen, but App A isn't.
      *   d) Neither is on-screen.
      *
-     * If the user tapped an app pair while inside a single app, there are 3 cases:
-     *   a) The on-screen app is App A of the app pair.
-     *   b) The on-screen app is App B of the app pair.
-     *   c) It is neither.
+     * If the user tapped an app pair while a fullscreen or freeform app is visible on screen,
+     * there are 4 cases:
+     *   a) At least one of the apps in the app pair is in freeform windowing mode.
+     *   b) The on-screen app is App A of the app pair.
+     *   c) The on-screen app is App B of the app pair.
+     *   d) It is neither.
      *
      * For each case, we call the appropriate animation and split launch type.
      */
@@ -422,6 +426,14 @@ public class AppPairsController {
                     foundTasks -> {
                         Task foundTask1 = foundTasks[0];
                         Task foundTask2 = foundTasks[1];
+
+                        if (DesktopModeStatus.canEnterDesktopMode(context) && (isFreeformTask(
+                                foundTask1) || isFreeformTask(foundTask2))) {
+                            launchAppPair(launchingIconView,
+                                    CUJ_LAUNCHER_LAUNCH_APP_PAIR_FROM_TASKBAR);
+                            return;
+                        }
+
                         boolean task1IsOnScreen;
                         boolean task2IsOnScreen;
                         if (com.android.wm.shell.Flags.enableShellTopTaskTracking()) {
diff --git a/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsControllerTest.kt b/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsControllerTest.kt
index ee70e0a9d3..76d36d3658 100644
--- a/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsControllerTest.kt
+++ b/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/quickstep/util/AppPairsControllerTest.kt
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 
 package com.android.quickstep.util
 
+import android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_FREEFORM
 import android.content.Context
+import android.content.res.Resources
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import com.android.launcher3.apppairs.AppPairIcon
 import com.android.launcher3.logging.StatsLogManager
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ import com.android.quickstep.TopTaskTracker
 import com.android.quickstep.TopTaskTracker.CachedTaskInfo
 import com.android.systemui.shared.recents.model.Task
 import com.android.systemui.shared.recents.model.Task.TaskKey
+import com.android.wm.shell.shared.desktopmode.DesktopModeStatus
 import com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.SNAP_TO_2_33_66
 import com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.SNAP_TO_2_50_50
 import com.android.wm.shell.shared.split.SplitScreenConstants.SNAP_TO_2_66_33
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ import org.mockito.kotlin.whenever
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class AppPairsControllerTest {
     @Mock lateinit var context: Context
+    @Mock lateinit var resources: Resources
     @Mock lateinit var splitSelectStateController: SplitSelectStateController
     @Mock lateinit var statsLogManager: StatsLogManager
 
@@ -109,6 +113,8 @@ class AppPairsControllerTest {
         doNothing()
             .whenever(spyAppPairsController)
             .launchToSide(anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull())
+        whenever(mockAppPairIcon.context.resources).thenReturn(resources)
+        whenever(DesktopModeStatus.canEnterDesktopMode(mockAppPairIcon.context)).thenReturn(false)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -391,6 +397,68 @@ class AppPairsControllerTest {
             .launchToSide(anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), eq(STAGE_POSITION_TOP_OR_LEFT))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun handleAppPairLaunchInApp_freeformTask1IsOnScreen_shouldLaunchAppPair() {
+        whenever(DesktopModeStatus.canEnterDesktopMode(mockAppPairIcon.context)).thenReturn(true)
+        /// Test launching apps 1 and 2 from app pair
+        whenever(mockTaskKey1.getId()).thenReturn(1)
+        whenever(mockTaskKey2.getId()).thenReturn(2)
+        // Task 1 is in freeform windowing mode
+        mockTaskKey1.windowingMode = WINDOWING_MODE_FREEFORM
+        // ... and app 1 is already on screen
+        if (com.android.wm.shell.Flags.enableShellTopTaskTracking()) {
+            whenever(mockCachedTaskInfo.topGroupedTaskContainsTask(eq(1))).thenReturn(true)
+        } else {
+            whenever(mockCachedTaskInfo.taskId).thenReturn(1)
+        }
+
+        // Trigger app pair launch, capture and run callback from findLastActiveTasksAndRunCallback
+        spyAppPairsController.handleAppPairLaunchInApp(
+            mockAppPairIcon,
+            listOf(mockItemInfo1, mockItemInfo2),
+        )
+        verify(splitSelectStateController)
+            .findLastActiveTasksAndRunCallback(any(), any(), callbackCaptor.capture())
+        val callback: Consumer<Array<Task>> = callbackCaptor.value
+        callback.accept(arrayOf(mockTask1, mockTask2))
+
+        // Verify that launchAppPair was called
+        verify(spyAppPairsController, times(1)).launchAppPair(any(), any())
+        verify(spyAppPairsController, never())
+            .launchToSide(anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun handleAppPairLaunchInApp_freeformTask2IsOnScreen_shouldLaunchAppPair() {
+        whenever(DesktopModeStatus.canEnterDesktopMode(mockAppPairIcon.context)).thenReturn(true)
+        /// Test launching apps 1 and 2 from app pair
+        whenever(mockTaskKey1.getId()).thenReturn(1)
+        whenever(mockTaskKey2.getId()).thenReturn(2)
+        // Task 2 is in freeform windowing mode
+        mockTaskKey1.windowingMode = WINDOWING_MODE_FREEFORM
+        // ... and app 2 is already on screen
+        if (com.android.wm.shell.Flags.enableShellTopTaskTracking()) {
+            whenever(mockCachedTaskInfo.topGroupedTaskContainsTask(eq(2))).thenReturn(true)
+        } else {
+            whenever(mockCachedTaskInfo.taskId).thenReturn(2)
+        }
+
+        // Trigger app pair launch, capture and run callback from findLastActiveTasksAndRunCallback
+        spyAppPairsController.handleAppPairLaunchInApp(
+            mockAppPairIcon,
+            listOf(mockItemInfo1, mockItemInfo2),
+        )
+        verify(splitSelectStateController)
+            .findLastActiveTasksAndRunCallback(any(), any(), callbackCaptor.capture())
+        val callback: Consumer<Array<Task>> = callbackCaptor.value
+        callback.accept(arrayOf(mockTask1, mockTask2))
+
+        // Verify that launchAppPair was called
+        verify(spyAppPairsController, times(1)).launchAppPair(any(), any())
+        verify(spyAppPairsController, never())
+            .launchToSide(anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull(), anyOrNull())
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun handleAppPairLaunchInApp_shouldLaunchAppPairNormallyWhenUnrelatedSingleAppIsFullscreen() {
         // Test launching apps 1 and 2 from app pair