How to change FPS on Android: all methods for games and systems

Frame rate (FPS) directly affects the smoothness of the interface and games on smartphones Android. But not everyone knows that this parameter can be adjusted - both upward for more comfortable gameplay, and downward to save battery power. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods for changing FPS on different devices, from standard settings to hidden engineering menus.

It is important to understand that the ability to adjust FPS depends on the smartphone model, version Android and even the processor manufacturer. For example, flagships Samsung or ASUS ROG Phone offer advanced settings for gamers, while budget devices are often limited to basic settings. We will look at universal solutions that work on most devices, as well as specialized tools for advanced users.

What is FPS and why it needs to be adjusted

FPS (frames per second) is the number of frames that a device can display in one second. The higher this indicator, the smoother the picture, but the greater the load on the processor and battery. The optimal balance depends on the tasks:

• 🎮 For games: 60–120 FPS provide comfortable gameplay, but quickly drain the battery.
• 🔋 To save battery: limiting to 30–45 FPS extends battery life.
• 📱 For the interface: high frequency (90–144 Hz) makes menu scrolling more responsive.

Most smartphones are set to 60 FPS by default - this is the standard for displays with refresh rates 60 Hz. However, modern devices support 90 Hz, 120 Hz and even 144 Hz, which allows you to increase FPS in games, if the hardware allows it. But not all applications automatically use the maximum screen capabilities - sometimes manual adjustment is required.

Checking the current frame rate on Android

Before changing the settings, it is worth finding out what FPS is currently used. There are several ways to do this:

1. Built-in tools:

   Some smartphones (for example, ASUS ROG Phone or RedMagic) display FPS directly in the notification panel. This is activated in the settings for gamers: Settings → Advanced → Game mode → Show FPS.

2. Monitor applications:

   Utilities like Game Bench or FPS Meter (available in Google Play) show the current FPS in real time. They work on top of games and the interface, but can slightly load the system.

3. ADB commands:

   For advanced users: connect the smartphone to the PC, turn on USB debugging and run the command:

   adb shell dumpsys SurfaceFlinger | grep"refresh rate"

   It will show the current screen refresh rate, which often coincides with FPS.

⚠️ Attention: FPS monitoring applications may conflict with some games (for example PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile) and lead to a ban for using "third-party software". Before using, check the rules of a particular game.

How to increase FPS in games on Android

If your smartphone supports a high screen refresh rate, but games run at standard 30-60 FPS, try these methods:

1. Graphics settings in the game itself

Many modern games (for example, Genshin Impact, Honor of Kings or Free Fire) allow you to manually select the frame rate:

• 🔧 Open the graphics settings in the game (usually in the section Video or Graphics).
• 🖥️ Find the parameter FPS, Frame rate or Refresh Rate.
• ⚡ Select the maximum value (for example, 90 FPS or 120 FPS).

2. Performance mode in Android settings

Some devices have built-in modes for games:

• 📱 Samsung: Settings → Device care → Battery → Operating modes → Maximum performance.
• 📱 Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO: Settings → Accessibility → Game Mode → Performance.
• 📱 ASUS ROG Phone: Armoury Crate → X Mode (activates maximum FPS settings).

3. Using ADB commands (for advanced)

If the game artificially limits FPS, you can try to remove the limitation through ADB:

1. Enable USB debugging in Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times to unlock).
2. Connect your smartphone to the PC and run the command:

   adb shell settings put global force_high_refresh_rate 1

   This forces a high screen refresh rate for supported applications.

⚠️ Attention: Not all games work correctly with a forced increase in FPS. Artifacts, slowdowns or even crashes are possible. Before competing in PUBG Mobile or Fortnite test the settings in regular matches - some anti-cheats regard changing FPS as using cheats.

How to limit FPS to save battery

High frame rates quickly drain the battery, especially in games. If autonomy is more important to you than smoothness, you can artificially limit FPS:

1. Built-in energy saving settings

Most smartphones allow you to limit performance:

• 🔋 Samsung: Settings → Device care → Battery → Operating modes → Average saving (limit FPS to 30–45).
• 🔋 Xiaomi: Settings → Battery → Power mode → Battery saver.
• 🔋 Google Pixel: Settings → Battery → Adaptive battery (automatically reduces FPS in the background).

2. Applications for limiting FPS

Utilities like Force 60Hz or SetEdit (requires root) allow you to force the FPS limit for individual applications. For example, you can limit YouTube to 30 FPS, and Call of Duty: Mobile leave it at 60 FPS.

3. Developer settings

The menu for developers has options that affect performance:

1. Activate Settings → About phone → Build number (7 clicks).
2. Return to Settings → System → For Developers.
3. Find parameters:
   • Limit background processes (reduces load).
   • Disable window animation (indirectly reduces the FPS of the interface).
   • GPU acceleration (disabling it can limit FPS, but will worsen the graphics).

Changing FPS through the engineering menu (MTK/Qualcomm)

On smartphones with processors Mediatek (Helio, Dimensity) and Qualcomm Snapdragon there are hidden engineering menus where you can fine-tune the frequency frames. Be careful —wrong changes can lead to failures!

For Mediatek (MTK) processors

1. Install the application MTK Engineering Mode (available in Google Play).
2. Open it and go to MTK Settings → Display.
3. Find the parameter Refresh Rate or FPS Cap and set the desired value.

For Qualcomm Snapdragon processors

1. Install Qualcomm Treble Check or QuickShortcutMaker.
2. Find com.qualcomm.qti.engineermode and open it.
3. Go to Display → FPS Limit and configure restrictions.

⚠️ Attention: Changes in the engineering menu are not saved after a reboot on some devices. There is also a risk of resetting to factory settings if the parameters are incorrect. On smartphones with a locked bootloader (for example, Samsung Exynos), the engineering menu may be disabled. manufacturer.

FPS and screen refresh rate: what's the difference

Many people confuse FPS (the frame rate that the processor produces) and Screen refresh rate (how many times per second the display can update the picture). These parameters are related, but not identical:

Parameter	What does it mean	Typical values	Impact on autonomy
FPS	How many frames does the processor generate	30, 60, 90, 120	High FPS → fast discharge
Screen frequency	How many times the display updates the image	60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz	High frequency → slightly higher consumption
VSYNC	FPS synchronization with screen frequency	On/Off	Enabled VSYNC saves battery

For example, if the game outputs 120 FPS, but the screen only supports 90 Hz, the extra frames will be ignored. At the same time, the processor still spends resources on rendering them, which leads to overheating and battery drain. It is optimal when FPS is a multiple of the screen frequency (for example, 60 FPS at 60 Hz or 120 FPS at 120 Hz).

What happens if the FPS is higher than the screen frequency?

If the game produces 120 FPS, and the screen only supports 60 Hz, you will only see every second frame. The processor is idling, which leads to:

• ⚡ Increased. battery consumption (up to 20% faster).
• 🔥 Overheating of the device.
• 🎮 Possible jerks due to unsynchronized frames.

To avoid this, activate VSYNC in the developer settings or limit FPS to a value that is a multiple of the screen frequency.

Problems after changing FPS and their solutions

FPS adjustment does not always go smoothly. Considered problems and ways to eliminate them:

1. The game lags after increasing FPS

Possible reasons and solutions:

• 🔥 Overheating: Reduce FPS or use a cooling pad.
• 🖥️ Lack of power: Close background applications or lower the resolution in the game.
• 🔄 Conflict with VSYNC: Try to enable/disable VSYNC in the developer settings.

2. The battery drains too quickly

If, after increasing FPS, battery life has dropped by 2-3 times:

• ⚡ Limit FPS to 45–60 in games.
• 🔋 Activate the power saving mode in the settings Android.
• 📴 Reduce screen brightness and disable Adaptive brightness.

3. Artifacts or torn frames

This occurs due to desynchronization of FPS and screen frequency. Solutions:

• 🔄 Enable VSYNC in the developer settings.
• 🎮 Set FPS to a multiple of the screen frequency (for example, 30 FPS to 60 Hz).
• 📱 Reboot the device - sometimes this resets graphic errors.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about setting FPS on Android

Is it possible to increase FPS on a budget smartphone (for example, Redmi 9A or Samsung Galaxy A12)?

On budget devices, the possibilities are limited: their processors (Helio G25, Snapdragon 450) are physically unable to consistently produce more 30–60 FPS in heavy games. However, you can:

• 🔧 Enable performance mode in the settings.
• 🎮 Lower the resolution and detail in the game (this will unload the processor and can increase FPS).
• ⚡ Use applications like GFX Tools to optimize graphics (but they do not guarantee an increase FPS).

On such devices it is better to focus on stable ones 30–45 FPSrather than chasing high values.

Why did FPS settings reset after an Android update?

OS updates often reset user settings, including:

• 📱 Options in the menu for developers.
• 🎮 Graphics settings in games (for example, in Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile).
• ⚙️ Forced FPS restrictions via ADB.

After updates:

1. Check the settings in games and, if necessary, configure them again.
2. Repeat ADB commands to force FPS.
3. Update drivers (for example, Adreno for Snapdragon or Mali for Mediatek).

How to check if my smartphone supports 90 or 120 FPS?

There are several ways:

1. Official characteristics: Look at the model specifications on the manufacturer's website (look for the parameter Screen refresh rate).
2. Applications: Set AIDA64 or CPU-Z —in the section Display the maximum frequency will be indicated.
3. Test in game: Run a game with high FPS support (for example, Call of Duty: Mobile) and check if the option 90 FPS or 120 FPS is available in the graphics settings.

Please note that even if the screen supports 120 Hz, the processor may not be able to handle such loads in heavy games.

Are they banned for changing FPS in PUBG Mobile, Free Fire or Call of Duty: Mobile?

Changing FPS in itself is not cheating, but:

• ⚠️ Using third-party utilities (for example, GFX Tools or Game Guardian) can lead to a ban if they modify game files.
• ⚠️ Some games (for example, PUBG Mobile) block accounts for "non-standard FPS settings" if they were changed through the engineering menu or root.
• ✅ It is safe to change FPS only through the official game settings or Android menu (for example, performance mode).

If in doubt, test the changes in regular matches, not in ranked matches.

Is it possible to set different FPS settings for different games?

Yes, but the methods depend on the capabilities of your device:

• 📱 On smartphones with branded gaming functions (ASUS ROG Phone, Black Shark, RedMagic): use built-in profiles for games (for example, Armoury Crate or Shark Space).
• 🔧 On devices with root: applications like SetEdit or Game Tuner allow you to assign individual FPS settings for each APK.
• 🖥️ Via ADB: you can create separate commands for each game, but this requires technical knowledge.

Without root and specialized software there is no universal solution - FPS settings will be applied to all applications.