Start with Adaptive or Auto if your phone offers it: you get smoother scrolling when needed without holding the panel at its top rate all the time. Select the highest fixed rate when motion smoothness matters more than battery life, and choose Standard or 60 Hz when runtime is your priority or you cannot see a meaningful difference. The right choice depends on your phone’s panel, software, apps and power-saving settings.
What a phone’s refresh rate actually means
Refresh rate is the number of times a display can update its image in one second, measured in hertz (Hz). A 60 Hz screen can update up to 60 times per second; a 120 Hz screen can update up to 120 times per second. Samsung defines it as “the number of times a display can update its image in 1 second” in its Galaxy refresh-rate guide.
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Higher refresh rates can make supported scrolling, menus, animations and games look smoother. They do not automatically improve every app. The phone still has to render frames, the app must request or produce them, and the display and system must permit that rate. A video encoded at 24 or 30 frames per second will not become a 120-frame-per-second video merely because the screen is set to 120 Hz.
Refresh rate is also different from touch-sampling rate. Refresh rate describes how often the image is redrawn; touch sampling describes how often the phone checks for finger input. Changing one does not directly change the other.
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Which setting should you choose?
| Mode | How it behaves | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive, Auto or Dynamic | Varies the refresh rate according to content, frame cadence or other device conditions. The available range differs by model. | Most people who want smooth everyday use with a reasonable battery balance. | Behavior is not identical on every Android phone, and the panel may still use a higher rate frequently. |
| High or Maximum | Uses the highest fixed rate offered by the phone, or keeps compatible content at a high rate. The ceiling may be 90 Hz, 120 Hz or another value. | Frequent scrolling, fast animations and games that support high frame rates. | Higher refresh operation can use more battery. |
| Standard or 60 Hz | Uses 60 Hz on devices that define Standard that way. | Battery-priority days, light use, or anyone who does not notice a worthwhile smoothness difference. | Scrolling and compatible animations can look less fluid than at a higher rate. |
There is no universally “correct” number. Adaptive is the safest starting point because it lets the phone select among supported rates. Move to High if you immediately prefer the feel and accept potentially shorter runtime. Use Standard when battery life matters more than fluid motion or when the visual difference is unimportant to you.
Think of these as different priorities rather than a ranking where the biggest number always wins. Adaptive prioritizes flexibility; High prioritizes a consistently smooth feel; Standard prioritizes battery conservation. The number alone does not tell you which setting will feel best on your phone or how much runtime you will gain or lose.
How to change the refresh rate on your phone
Google Pixel: Smooth Display
- Open Settings.
- Tap Display & touch.
- Find Smooth Display and turn it on or off, depending on the options shown for your model.
Google says Smooth Display increases battery usage. Its Pixel instructions are available at Manage screen & display settings on a Pixel phone. Battery Saver disables Smooth Display, so the phone may fall back to a lower rate while that mode is active.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPixel’s control is a toggle rather than the same three-choice menu described for Galaxy. The exact rates available when Smooth Display is enabled depend on the Pixel model. If you do not see the same option or wording, check Google’s instructions for your specific model rather than assuming another Pixel’s controls apply.
Samsung Galaxy: Motion smoothness
- Open Settings.
- Use the Settings search field for Motion smoothness, or open the display settings and select it when listed.
- Choose the mode offered by your model, such as Standard, High or Adaptive.
- Tap Apply if your software presents an Apply button.
Samsung describes Adaptive as dynamically adjusting up to the supported maximum. High can lock compatible devices to 120 Hz, while some models top out at 90 Hz; Standard is 60 Hz and is identified as the best battery option in Samsung’s guide. Exact labels and choices vary by Galaxy model and software version. See Samsung’s current support instructions.
Power saving mode can set a Galaxy display to Standard. Some Galaxy devices also switch to Standard when WQHD+ resolution is selected. If a mode disappears after changing resolution or enabling power saving, check those settings before assuming the display is faulty.
Do not assume that every Galaxy offers all three modes. Samsung says 120 Hz is available only on selected models, and a device’s supported choices can depend on its configuration. If the menu shows only Standard and High, for example, use the choices actually listed on your phone instead of looking for an Adaptive option that may not be supported.
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Other Android phones
Manufacturers use different names, including Refresh rate, Screen refresh rate, Motion smoothness, Fluid display or Dynamic refresh rate. Open Settings and search for refresh rate. If search finds nothing, check the official support guide for the exact model. Do not assume that a menu path from another manufacturer applies to your phone.
Settings names and available controls can differ even among phones running Android. Treat the manufacturer’s instructions for your exact model as the authority on where the control is and what each mode does. A general Android setting path may not exist on a phone whose maker uses its own display menu.
Confirm the rates your phone can actually use
A specification such as “120 Hz display” describes the panel’s capability, not a promise that every app or situation will run at 120 Hz. Android system policy, app requests, hardware support, resolution choices and power-saving modes all influence the selected rate.
Pixel examples from Google’s support information
| Pixel model | Rate range or ceiling listed by Google |
|---|---|
| Pixel 8a | Up to 120 Hz |
| Pixel 8 Pro | 1–120 Hz |
| Pixel 8 | 60–120 Hz |
| Pixel Fold | Up to 120 Hz |
| Pixel 7 | Up to 90 Hz |
| Pixel 7a | Up to 90 Hz |
| Pixel 7 Pro | Up to 120 Hz |
These are examples from Google’s Pixel help page, not a complete list of current Pixel devices. Read the entry for your exact model at Google Pixel Help.
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The examples show why it is worth checking the model name, not just the Pixel or Galaxy brand. The Pixel 7 and 7a examples have a 90 Hz ceiling, while Google lists up to 120 Hz for the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8 Pro range starts at 1 Hz, whereas the Pixel 8 is listed at 60–120 Hz. Those ranges describe the examples in Google’s support information; they are not rates to expect from every Android phone.
On other phones, check the manufacturer’s specification and settings page together. A model may advertise a maximum rate while offering only selected rates at a particular resolution, in a particular mode, or in selected applications.
How adaptive refresh works
Adaptive mode is not one universal Android behavior. A phone can change rates based on the content it is displaying, the frame cadence requested by an app, power conditions and the discrete modes supported by its display hardware.
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The Android Open Source Project describes Android 15’s adaptive refresh rate (ARR) as allowing the display rate to adapt to the content frame rate using discrete VSync steps. Its technical explanation is at AOSP Adaptive refresh rate. In practice, that means a device can select a suitable supported step rather than continuously using its maximum.
Android’s display system also considers app frame-rate preferences and the display modes exposed by the hardware. The Android documentation on multiple refresh rates explains how those modes are selected. A game or app can request a rate, but the system can choose another one when the panel, power policy or other constraints require it.
Android Developers says the adaptive refresh-rate functionality requires devices that implement the relevant hardware-abstraction-layer APIs and run Android 15 QPR1 or later. That is platform support, not a guarantee that every phone running Android 15 has the feature. Your model’s manufacturer determines which adaptive options appear in its settings.
In practical terms, “adaptive” does not mean that the phone can use any number at any moment. The display has a set of supported modes, and the phone chooses among them according to its implementation and current content. One phone may offer a broader range than another, even when both have an adaptive setting. That is why the label is a useful starting point but not a complete description of how your particular screen behaves.
Match the setting to what you do on the phone
Scrolling through feeds, web pages and settings
These are the tasks where many people notice a higher rate first. If fast scrolling looks clearer and easier to follow at 90 or 120 Hz, use Adaptive for a balance or High for a consistently fluid feel. If the difference is difficult to see after several minutes of normal use, Standard is a reasonable battery-focused choice.
For a fair comparison, use the same screen and perform the same ordinary action in each mode: scroll a familiar feed, move through Settings, or swipe between pages. Do not judge only by a quick look at the rate label. The useful question is whether the motion feels meaningfully better in the apps you actually use.
Games
Choose High only when the game and phone support a high frame rate. The panel cannot display extra game frames that the game does not render, and a game may request a lower rate for performance or power reasons. Check the game’s own frame-rate option and test a familiar title rather than judging from the phone’s maximum specification alone.
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There are two separate limits to keep in mind: what the display can show and what the game produces or requests. A 120 Hz panel does not guarantee that a game runs at 120 frames per second. If a title does not offer a higher frame-rate option, changing the system refresh setting may not make its gameplay smoother.
Video and streaming
Most video content has a fixed production frame rate. A higher display setting can make interface movement around the video smoother, but it does not change the source video’s frame rate. Adaptive is generally the least intrusive choice if you switch between video, reading and scrolling.
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Reading, messaging and static content
Text conversations, ebooks and photographs spend much of their time static. Adaptive mode can reduce the rate when the content does not need rapid updates, depending on the phone’s implementation. Standard is suitable if these activities dominate and battery runtime is more valuable to you than animated transitions.
Battery-priority days
Switch to Standard or 60 Hz when you need the longest practical runtime from the existing phone. A faster setting can use more battery, but official sources do not establish a universal percentage or number of extra hours. The result depends on the panel, brightness, network activity, apps and how often the display is moving.
There is no reliable calculation such as “120 Hz costs a fixed amount of battery per hour” that applies to every Android device. Google states that Smooth Display increases battery usage, and Samsung identifies Standard as its best battery option, but neither statement supplies a universal runtime gain. If the battery difference matters to you, try Standard on a day when charging is difficult and return to Adaptive or High when the smoothness is worth the trade-off.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the phone may not stay at the selected rate
- Battery Saver or Power saving is active: Pixel Battery Saver disables Smooth Display, and Samsung says Power saving sets the display to Standard.
- Your model has a lower ceiling: Some phones support 90 Hz rather than 120 Hz, and some offer high rates only in selected modes.
- Resolution limits the choice: Samsung documents devices that switch to Standard when WQHD+ is selected.
- The app requests another rate: Android evaluates app frame-rate preferences along with available display modes and system policy.
- The hardware does not implement the feature: Android’s adaptive-rate APIs require specific hardware support; an Android version alone is not enough.
When diagnosing the behavior, first turn off the relevant power-saving mode, verify the resolution, reopen the app and compare a scrolling screen with a static screen. Then check the exact model’s support page. If the setting is unavailable even after those checks, the phone may simply not expose that rate.
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A practical decision process
- Identify the available choices. Search Settings for refresh rate and note whether the phone offers Adaptive, High, Standard or another label.
- Check the model ceiling. Confirm the manufacturer’s stated maximum and any restrictions involving resolution or power modes.
- Start with Adaptive. Use the phone normally for scrolling, messaging, video and your most-used apps.
- Try High if motion matters. Compare the same screens and a supported game. Keep it only if the smoother movement is valuable enough to justify the battery trade-off.
- Use Standard for battery-critical situations. Change it before travel, long navigation sessions or a day when charging is difficult, then return to Adaptive when the priority changes.
- Recheck after major updates. Android and manufacturer updates can change available modes, power policies or app behavior.
Make the comparison with your regular routine rather than an artificial test. Start with Adaptive, notice how scrolling and animations feel, then try the highest setting available. If the difference is obvious and worthwhile, keep High. If you cannot reliably tell which mode is active, Standard is a sensible option when you want to favor battery life. You can change the setting again whenever your priorities change.
Changing this setting does not require a new phone, a screen replacement or an accessory. It controls a capability built into the display and phone software; an external accessory will not change the panel’s built-in refresh mode. For an existing phone, use its Settings menu and official model instructions.
Common questions about 60 Hz, 90 Hz and 120 Hz
Should I use 60 Hz or 120 Hz?
Use 120 Hz when you clearly prefer the smoother motion and your phone and apps support it. Use 60 Hz when battery runtime matters more or the difference is not meaningful to you. Adaptive is the middle option when you do not want to choose a fixed compromise.
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It can use more battery, and Google explicitly says Smooth Display increases battery usage. No single percentage applies to all Android phones, because panel technology, brightness, content and software policy differ.
Why does my 120 Hz phone sometimes show less than 120 Hz?
The maximum is a capability, not a constant promise. Adaptive policy, app requests, resolution, power-saving modes and the phone’s hardware implementation can all select a lower supported rate.
Is Adaptive always better than High?
No. Adaptive is a sensible default for mixed use, while High is appropriate when consistent smoothness is your priority. The choice is personal and model-specific; test both during ordinary use.
Does every Android 15 phone have adaptive refresh rate?
No. Android Developers says the adaptive refresh-rate functionality requires compatible hardware support and Android 15 QPR1 or later. A phone’s Android version by itself does not guarantee that the setting or feature is available.
Why can’t I find the refresh-rate setting?
Menu names and options differ by manufacturer and model. Search Settings for “refresh rate,” then check the official support guide for your phone. The feature or a particular mode may not be supported on that model, or a power-saving mode or resolution choice may affect what is shown.
Do I need to buy anything to change the refresh rate?
No. This is a setting for the display built into your current phone. You do not need a new phone or an accessory to select a mode that your model supports.
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