To enable Native Refresh Rate in Pokémon GO, open the in-game Settings, scroll to Advanced Settings, and switch on Native Refresh Rate. The option lets the game use the phone’s display refresh rate; it does not guarantee 60 FPS or any other fixed frame rate.
Turn on Native Refresh Rate
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Open Pokémon GO and tap the Poké Ball to open the main menu.
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Tap Settings.
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Scroll down to Advanced Settings.
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Turn on Native Refresh Rate.
The menu path is listed in a third-party Pokémon GO settings reference. Niantic’s Android troubleshooting guide confirms that the game has Settings and Advanced Settings, but does not specifically document this toggle. If your app uses different labels or the option is in a different place, check the current Advanced Settings menu.
What the setting does—and what it cannot do
Refresh rate is how often a display updates its image, measured in hertz (Hz). Enabling the Pokémon GO option allows the game to use the rate supported by the phone’s display. It cannot raise the display’s hardware limit: a 60 Hz screen cannot operate above 60 Hz, while some devices support 90 Hz or 120 Hz.
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It also does not promise that Pokémon GO will render at the screen’s maximum rate. On iPhone and iPad, Apple says the system manages ProMotion refresh behavior; an app cannot force the display to show content at a particular rate. Apple lists supported ProMotion iPhones as variable from 10 Hz to 120 Hz and listed iPad Pro models from 24 Hz to 120 Hz. Those are platform capabilities, not a Pokémon GO performance guarantee. Apple’s ProMotion documentation explains the system-controlled behavior.
Android behavior also depends on the operating system and device. Android Developers says Android 15 sets games to a 60 Hz default unless a higher rate is explicitly requested, and that battery level or device temperature can constrain the rate. This general Android guidance does not establish exactly how Pokémon GO requests frame rates on every model. See Android’s refresh-rate guidance.
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Should you leave it on?
Decide based on your screen, how smooth motion looks to you, and whether the extra power use is worthwhile. The Pokémon GO settings reference warns that Native Refresh Rate uses more battery. Apple and Android likewise note that higher refresh rates can increase power use, and Android identifies heat as another consideration. No Pokémon GO-specific battery-life or performance measurements are published in the cited sources.
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Consider leaving it on if your display supports more than 60 Hz and you prefer smoother motion.
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Turn it off or lower the phone’s refresh rate if battery use is a concern, the phone gets warm, or motion looks uneven.
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Check power-saving conditions if the rate seems limited. On Apple devices, Low Power Mode or elevated device temperature can disable faster ProMotion behavior.
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The display is the relevant hardware; no accessory is required. A phone with a 90 Hz or 120 Hz screen is only worth considering if your current phone’s display does not support a rate above 60 Hz.
If Native Refresh Rate is missing or has no effect
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Update Pokémon GO. Niantic recommends using the newest app version. Menu wording and placement can change between versions.
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Check the phone’s display settings and specifications. Confirm whether the display supports a rate above 60 Hz and whether the operating system is using a power-saving mode or limiting refresh behavior.
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Refresh game data only as a general troubleshooting step. Niantic documents Settings > Advanced Settings > Refresh Game Data for gameplay issues, but does not identify it as a fix for a missing Native Refresh Rate toggle. Refreshing data may turn off Adventure Sync, so check that setting afterward if you use it. See Niantic’s Android troubleshooting guide.
The available guidance does not establish a complete device compatibility list or one universal reason the toggle may be absent. If it remains unavailable after updating and checking your device settings, your particular app-and-device combination may not expose the option.
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Why the setting exists
Pokémon GO’s high-frame-rate option was reported as an iOS feature in 2021; the current settings reference places Native Refresh Rate under Advanced Settings and notes its battery cost. The exact menu path is therefore best treated as a practical guide rather than a guarantee that every version presents the setting identically. See the historical feature report and the settings reference.
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