The visual smoothness of the interface and stability in games often depend on the number of frames per second that the screen and graphics accelerator of your smartphone can produce. For enthusiasts and ordinary users, it is extremely useful to see this indicator in real time to understand where exactly the system is “sagging” in performance. Enabling this function helps diagnose problems with overheating or incorrect driver operation.
Unfortunately, unlike game consoles or PCs, the operating system Android does not provide a single native button in the regular settings menu for constantly displaying a number on the screen. However, there are several proven ways to get around this limitation: from hidden developer menus to using specialized debugging tools via a computer.
In this article we will analyze in detail all the available methods, their pros and cons, and also explain how to interpret the data obtained. You will learn how to use system tools without installing unnecessary software and understand when you simply cannot do without third-party applications.
Using built-in options for developers
The fastest and safest way to see the current screen refresh rate is to use the hidden developer mode, which is already built into the firmware of your device. First you need to activate this section. Go to Settings, find the item About phone and quickly click on the line Build number about seven times in a row until a notification of successful activation appears.
After activation, a new section will appear in the main settings menu For Developers. Once there, scroll down the list to the Drawing or Monitoring block. Here you will find the option Show refresh rate (Show refresh rate). Enabling this switch will display a numeric value in the upper left corner of the screen, for example 60 or 120.
If the switch is grayed out, your shell may not support this feature at the kernel level, or the screen is running in fixed mode without dynamic frequency change.
You should understand an important nuance: this tool shows the refresh rate of the display itself (Hz), and not the number of application frames rendered (FPS). If your phone supports LTPO or adaptive sync, the numbers will jump from 1 to 120 depending on the content. This is useful for testing screen performance, but does not always reflect real-world performance in heavy games.
⚠️ Attention: Continuous use of the developer menu may cause critical scaling settings or background process limits to be accidentally changed, making the system unstable. Do not change parameters whose purpose you do not know.
Monitoring via ADB utilities and USB debugging
For those who need accurate data about the rendering of specific applications, and not just screen frequency, using Android Debug Bridge (ADB)is ideal. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but provides the most reliable information without installing “junk” applications on the device itself.
First enable USB debugging in the developer menu on the phone. Then download the Platform Tools package on your PC and connect the cable. Having opened the command line or terminal in the folder with the utility, enter the command to start SurfaceFlinger monitoring, which is responsible for the composition of windows in the system.
adb shell dumpsys SurfaceFlinger --latency-clearA more advanced option is to use the command dumpsys gfxinfo, which displays detailed statistics on the current application. You need to find out the name of the game package (for example com.pubg.krmobile) and enter the command:
adb shell dumpsys gfxinfo com.pubg.krmobile framestatsHow to find the name of the application package?
Use the `adb shell pm list packages` command to display a complete list of all installed applications on the device. Find what you need by name in the list or use filtering by adding part of the game name to the end of the command.
The result of the command will show the processing time of each frame in nanoseconds. Although it doesn't look like a pretty counter in the corner of the screen, this data is invaluable for in-depth analysis of stuttering and frame unevenness. You can see the average frame time (Janks) and understand how stable the gameplay is.
Third-party applications for displaying FPS
If fiddling with a computer and the command line seems too difficult for you, specialized applications from Google Play will come to the rescue. There are solutions that use access to system logs or overlays to display information on top of games. One of the most popular tools is GameBench or various analogues like FPS Monitor.
Most of these apps require special permissions to be granted via ADB when first launched. Typically this is a command to grant permission to draw on top of other windows or use access. After one-time setup, the application will be able to work autonomously, displaying the counter in a floating window.
- 📱 GameBench: Professional tool with detailed statistics on CPU and GPU usage, but requires registration.
- 🎮 FPS Monitor: Simple interface, shows the load on the processor cores and temperature in real time.
- ⚙️ DevCheck: Combine for diagnostics, including a tab with frame rate monitoring and throttling.
It is worth noting that on modern versions of Android (starting from 10 and higher), the security system strictly limits the possibility of overlaying overlays on top of games, especially if they are protected by an anti-cheat. In such cases, the counter may not be displayed or the game may simply not start.
Proprietary game modes and launchers
Smartphone manufacturers understand gamers, which is why many modern shells have built-in game centers. U Xiaomi is Game Turbo, U Samsung — Game Plugins (Perf Z plugin), U ASUS — Armoury Crate. These utilities often have native support for displaying an FPS counter without the need for root access.
For example, on Samsung devices you can install an official plugin from the Galaxy Store, which adds a frame rate widget to the control panel during the game. This is the most stable option, since it is integrated into the system at a deep level and does not cause conflicts with security.
| Brand | Utility name | Root required | Data accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi / POCO | Game Turbo | No | High |
| Samsung | Game Plugins (Perf Z) | No | Very high |
| ASUS ROG | Armoury Crate | No | Maximum |
| OnePlus | Pro Gamer Mode | No | Average |
If you do not have a proprietary utility, you can try installing third-party game launchers, such as GameSpace. They intercept application launches and try to apply their optimization profiles, displaying performance information along the way. However, their effectiveness greatly depends on the specific processor model.
⚠️ Attention: Enabling game modes and overlays creates an additional load on RAM. On devices with 4 GB of RAM or less, this can lead to the opposite effect - a decrease in FPS due to lack of resources.
Compatibility issues and system limitations
Users often encounter a situation where the enabled counter shows a fixed value or does not work at all in a certain game. This is due to the way modern engines (Unity, Unreal Engine) interact with the Android display manager. Some games block reading system timings for anti-cheating or optimization purposes.
In addition, there is a problem with desync. The screen can refresh 90 times per second, but the game only generates 45 frames. In this case, you will see a smooth picture thanks to V-Sync technology or motion compensation, but the real FPS will be half the screen frequency. Only tools like ADB gfxinfo can show the real number of scenes rendered, and not just the matrix scanning frequency.
It is also worth considering the impact of energy saving. If the phone's power saving mode is enabled, the system can forcefully limit the processor frequency and block background monitoring services. Before testing, be sure to disable all power saving modes and close unnecessary applications.
☑️ Preparing for performance testing
Data interpretation and optimization
Having received the coveted numbers, it is important to understand them correctly. Stable 60 FPS in a dynamic shooter is an excellent result. However, if the value jumps from 55 to 30 every few seconds, this is called “stuttering”, and playing in this mode is extremely uncomfortable, even if the average value is high.
Pay attention to drawdowns below the threshold in 30 FPS. For the human eye, this is the limit after which movement is no longer perceived as smooth. If you see such values in the game menu or in quiet locations, it means that the device cannot cope with basic optimization of the project.
Frame stability is more important than maximum values. It is better to play at a constant 40 FPS than with jumps from 60 to 20.
To correct the situation, try lowering the graphics settings: shadows, anti-aliasing and draw distance consume the most GPU resources. Sometimes clearing the game cache or reinstalling drivers helps (if you have access to custom kernels), but in most cases the limitation lies in the physical overheating of the chipset.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the FPS counter show 0 or does not start?
Most often this is due to without the necessary permits. Check whether you have given the application the right to “draw on top of other windows” in the system settings. Also, some anti-cheats in online games block any overlays, considering them potential software to gain an advantage.
Does enabled FPS monitoring affect performance?
Yes, any additional software consumes processor and RAM resources. Built-in developer tools have minimal impact, while heavy third-party applications can take up to 5-10% of CPU power, which in borderline situations will reduce the final FPS.
Is it possible to enable the counter without root access?
Yes, most modern methods, including the developer menu, branded game centers and many applications from the Play Market, work without obtaining root access superuser. Root is only necessary for deep overclocking or modification of kernel system files.
What is the difference between Hz and FPS?
Hz (Hertz) is a physical characteristic of the screen, showing how many times per second the matrix can update the image. FPS (Frames Per Second) is the number of frames that a video card or processor manages to calculate and send to the screen in a second. FPS cannot be higher than Hz.
How to remove the FPS counter after verification?
If you used the developer menu, just go there again and turn off the “Show refresh rate” switch. If you were using an application, close it through the multitasking menu or delete the widget from your desktop. When using ADB, just disconnect the cable or reboot the device.