If there is no such function, proceed as follows. I take a screenshot (press the “PowerOff” and “Volume -” buttons simultaneously), save it and open it in the Gallery. In the “Information” item of the additional menu we find the necessary information.
On some smartphones, the screen resolution can be found in the Settings menu in the About Phone section.
If there is no such function, proceed as follows. I take a screenshot (press the “PowerOff” and “Volume -” buttons simultaneously), save it and open it in the Gallery. In the “Information” item of the additional menu we find the necessary information.
Interesting news for experienced mobile device users was the ability to control screen resolution in Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones, introduced at the end of 2016. But this case is actually unique on the market, and for other models and manufacturers you can change the display settings only if you have administrator rights and good knowledge of the system. We will provide brief instructions below, but keep in mind that you do so at your own risk.
Screen resolution concept
Do not confuse resolution with display size.
On devices with the same screen size, the picture may differ significantly in brightness, contrast, number of colors and other criteria. The fact is that the image quality is primarily determined by the current screen resolution, and the higher it is, the more pleasant it is for our eyes to contemplate. In technical language, display resolution refers to the number of small dots (pixels) that fit on the screen in height and width. Pixels can be square, rectangular or hexagonal in shape.
The main units of measurement for resolution are ppi (pixels per inch), but there are other values: dpi, spi and lpi, which are used in other areas, for example, to determine print quality.
To understand what resolution is in practice, try zooming in on any image as closely as possible. It is best to run this experiment on a PC in some kind of graphics application for drawing, then you are guaranteed to see how the picture breaks up into individual points. The same principle is used when creating an image on a smartphone display, and the greater the number of composite points, the better.
Screenshot is done by pressing the Volume button and the Power key. After this, the photo is automatically saved in the gallery. Some firmwares have a special key with which you can take a screenshot. In any case, the result will be the same.
The screen resolution is set by the device manufacturer itself. This parameter is determined based on the size of the device and pricing policy. Often, users do not have the resolution that is preset by the manufacturer. To a greater extent, this problem concerns gadgets with a small screen diagonal.
Due to the low screen resolution, the user faces a number of problems. For example, not every video can be watched on such a device, many good quality photos may not open, and some sites will not be displayed correctly in the browser.
Faced with these difficulties, the user involuntarily asks the question: how to change the screen resolution on an Android device? It is worth noting right away that it is impossible to change it using the standard functions of a smartphone. To do this, you will need superuser rights and a number of third-party programs.
Despite all the difficulties, some users do not want to put up with huge icons on the screen and other inconveniences that low resolution creates. If you are satisfied with everything, then it is better not to carry out the described actions, since they require certain skills and experience.
Display resolution is a certain number of pixels located on one unit of area. The more of these pixels, the sharper the image on the screen will be.
In order to change the screen resolution on Android, you need to find out what the default resolution is. You can find out this information in several ways:
- view the instruction manual;
- go to the manufacturer’s official website and look at the model description;
- in some devices, information about display resolution can be viewed through the main menu by clicking on the “About phone” tab;
- take a screenshot of the screen and see the properties of the resulting image (read our article on how to take a screenshot).
Screenshot is done by pressing the Volume button and the Power key. After this, the photo is automatically saved in the gallery. Some firmwares have a special key with which you can take a screenshot. In any case, the result will be the same.
Once the current screen resolution is known, you can proceed to installing the necessary programs.
LCD Density Modder Pro
This is one of the most popular programs that allows you to change the screen resolution on Android. Before using it, you must obtain superuser rights (root), otherwise nothing will work.
Before you start obtaining rights and increasing permission, you should take care of the safety of your data and make a backup copy. If you neglect backup, you can not only lose all your data, but also damage the gadget itself, beyond the possibility of recovery.
The LCD Density Modder Pro utility has an intuitive interface. The only difficulty is that the application is not Russified. Considering that the majority of the population more or less speaks English, difficulties should not arise.
Photo: LCD Density Modder Pro
Adjusting the resolution using this application is very easy. The main thing is not to set limit values that the device may not technically meet. The main advantages of the application include very low system requirements and the ability to cancel changes at any time.
Changing resolution without third-party programs
The display resolution can be changed without using third-party programs, but it is not possible to do without root rights. If you have already received superuser rights, then to change it you only need a file manager. You can find many such managers on the Internet (read the review of file managers on our website) and each of them will cope with the task perfectly.
The following actions must be taken:
- download the file manager;
- Among all the files of the device, we find the System folder;
- open the build.prop file;
- in the line ro.sf.lcd_density we change the numbers, which are the screen resolution.
After adjusting the values, all changes must be saved. After this, restart the device. You should not change the original values significantly. This may cause the display to not function properly. That is why it is important to find a middle ground.
Second Screen (Download)
Another application that will help expand the boundaries of the screen is Second Screen. The operating principle of such applications is identical. First you need to acquire superuser rights, and after that, using the application, you change the settings in the system files. The application can be installed absolutely free. At the same time, it has quite powerful functionality and a number of additional functions. Among the shortcomings is the lack of Russian language.
Photo: Second Screen
Many devices that run the Android system have a very low screen resolution, which does not allow you to fully use all the capabilities of the gadget. This situation can be corrected using special software and file managers. The whole procedure takes a little time. The main thing is to correctly choose the optimal display resolution that one or another model can support. The only difficulty in this process is obtaining root rights.
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The service helps you change the screen resolution so that the characters and backgrounds of applications are not stretched or deformed due to differences in display sizes. Also, you will have the opportunity to change the performance of the toys to save your battery. This function will help you use energy more economically, while at the same time, without compromising yourself in completing your favorite levels.
Game Tuner is an application that allows you to manage settings in your games. You will have the opportunity to change the screen resolution, experiment with the quality of the displayed image and adjust the parameters as much as possible to suit your gadget. Also, you can reduce the performance of toys, thereby saving battery power as much as possible. The application is suitable for most Android devices and, when using official services, it does not require additional access to a smartphone or tablet.
At the moment, you can download almost any game from the Internet and play it on your mobile gadget. But, sometimes it happens that the mobile device does not support your favorite application and while passing levels the device begins to freeze, slow down and heat up the phone too much.
Considering that many developers don’t really bother with the settings of their “brainchildren,” in most cases nothing can be done with such heavy games and they have to be deleted from the gadget’s memory. But, the Game Tuner application will help solve this problem, and your device will be able to reproduce what it could not do before.
Working with this service will not be difficult even for inexperienced users. After installing and launching the program, you will see a list of all the toys available for editing that are in the memory of your device. Just select the required file and start tuning your data performance.
The service helps you change the screen resolution so that the characters and backgrounds of applications are not stretched or deformed due to differences in display sizes. Also, you will have the opportunity to change the performance of the toys to save your battery. This function will help you use energy more economically, while at the same time, without compromising yourself in completing your favorite levels.
The program runs in the background, and while playing the game you can interrupt and set the necessary parameters for your convenience. There are 5 main modes here, which make it possible to add or remove custom options that allow you to manage application settings in completely different ways.
When your battery drains too quickly, even with minimal settings, try reducing the screen size to 4 inches. It uses a very useful function that allows you to change the resolution and display borders, even in non-gaming applications. Install Game Tuner on your gadget and you will have the opportunity to adjust the options of toys, even where this was not initially provided.
All options are available on almost one screen. If you want to change the resolution, simply select the Resolution option and enter the new values.
Nowadays, smartphones have increased screen resolution. In theory this is a plus, but in practice, after exceeding a certain level, the changes are no longer visible to the naked eye. And higher resolution means device performance, especially in 3D games. See how to reduce resolution on Android to achieve more liquidity in games.
Reducing resolution on Android
A simple solution is the Screen Shift app, which allows you to change screen resolution, pixel density, and overscan features. Of course, changing the resolution will come with a reduction in image sharpness as it will scale (stretch) the image on the screen, but in the case of 3D games it will increase efficiency and increase frames per second.
Loading Screen
Screen Shift without root only works on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), 4.0.X (Ice Cream Sandwitch) and 4.1 and 4.2 (Jelly Bean). If you have Android 4.3 (also Jelly Bean) or any newer one (KitKat, Lollipop), you will need root to operate. The Overscan feature only works on Android 2.3 and later.
Using the application itself is simple - immediately after launching, a message will appear asking you to perform a test. If we want to perform a test, we select OK - the application will try to set other resolution values, etc. and check if the screen changer is compatible with the device. If we want to skip the test and go straight to the settings, we select Cancel.
All options are available on almost one screen. If you want to change the resolution, simply select the Resolution option and enter the new values.
Here's a note - enter them in the reverse order you would normally enter and save. If we have Full HD resolution on the phone (1920x1080), then its recording will look like this: 1080x1920. If we want to change the resolution from Full HD, for example, to 720p, we do not enter only 1280x720, only 720x1280. The first number is the width, the second is the height.
At what values should I change the resolution?
First you need to check what native resolution you have on your phone - just type your phone model into Google and find the specifications. They are available in the first search results. The most popular resolutions (according to the notation used in Screen Shift): 1080x1920, 720x1280, 480x800.
So if we have a resolution of 1080x1920, we can downsize it to 720x1280. If we have this in turn initially, we can scale it down to 480x800. The latter can be reduced to 240x400. These are just pure examples based on the assumption that the screen aspect ratio is 16:9. If you have a tablet with a resolution of 768x1024, you can scale it down to 600x800.
How to accept permissions?
After entering the new resolution, as well as after any changes to other parameters such as pixel density (overscan), simply activate the program's operation using the main slider, which is located in the upper right corner (on the purple bar). After restarting the smartphone, the changes will take effect.
I tested the Pokemon Go steps above on my Google Pixel 3 XL because changing display settings is the most popular way to improve the game's performance, according to tips on gaming forums. On my smartphone, everything worked very well before changing the settings, but after that, to my surprise, the increase in frame rate and corresponding smoothness was clearly noticeable.
How to set the exact display resolution?
As you know, display resolution is the number of pixels per unit area. The higher this indicator, the better the picture will be displayed on the display of the tablet computer. Often, owners of budget versions of tablets with small screen diagonals encounter a problem in which a small number of lines of text are displayed on the display, especially in landscape orientation. Moreover, all icons and symbols are large in size, which certainly interferes with the comfortable perception of information. The display resolution of a seven-inch device must be at least 1024x600 pixels.
To find out the exact resolution, you need to take a screenshot. On devices with the Android operating system, this can be done by simultaneously pressing two buttons - Volume and Power. After this, the screenshot will automatically be uploaded to the gadget Gallery. You just need to open it and read the information. Information about picture resolution will show current data about screen parameters. Typically, the test performed coincides with the technical characteristics of the device declared by the manufacturer.
How to change the screen resolution of an Android device without root access
First, you need to download and install the Android Debug bridge program on your computer. After installation, you will need to switch your smartphone to Developer Mode. Developer mode allows you to change system-level settings on your smartphone that are not available by default, but all we need to do now is enable USB debugging.
- Go to Settings > About Phone, then scroll down and tap on the Build Number line about 7-10 times in a row. You will receive a notification when Developer Mode is activated.
- Now go to Settings > System > Advanced Settings > Developer Options. Scroll down to the Debugging section and enable the USB Debugging option.
So how do you change resolution and DPI? We will use the same commands as in the second step, but this time we will add our own parameters to them.
Change resolution using Android Studio
To change the screen resolution on Android via the command line, you need Android Studio. You can install it on the website of the same name. After the download is complete, you must run the program and accept the terms of the agreement. Then you should simply click “next” until the files are unpacked, click “finish” and close the program. After this, you must follow these steps:
- connect Android to computer via USB;
- open command line;
- enter the command “adb shell dumpsys display | grep mBaseDisplayInfo";
- press Enter.
On the monitor screen you can see the characteristics of your smartphone or tablet. To the right of the word “Density” is a number with a screen extension. You need to enter the desired number, enter the command “adb shell wm density DPI && adb reboot” and press Enter. The new screen extension will appear after rebooting the device.
Although you can change the screen resolution on Android in different ways, it is impossible to change it higher.
The number of pixels cannot be increased due to the physical parameters of the display.
Changing display settings without using special programs
You can make the appropriate settings without using applications. All you need is a file manager, for example, ES Explorer, Explorer, ES File Explorer. You can find many convenient and free applications in the Google Play store. Users will have to open root access on their tablet computer or smartphone. This method is only suitable for rooted devices.
Next, you need to find the System folder in the file system of your tablet or smartphone. It will definitely contain the “build.prop” file, which is responsible for the gadget’s resolution settings. It should be opened using any text editor. After this, you should execute the command Operations - Change. As a result, changing the resolution will become available. You should change the numeric value in the line “ro.sf.lcd_density=(digits)”.
After setting new parameters, you should save all changes and restart your mobile device. Such actions will activate new settings. We do not recommend changing the resolution significantly, as this may damage the mobile device and cause incorrect operation.
