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Change the display size to suit your preferences
Written byNicole Levine, MFA
Last Updated: July 8, 2024Fact Checked
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- Changing the Resolution |
- Changing the Display Size |
- Changing the Pixel Density |
- Video |
- |
- Tips |
- Warnings
This wikiHow teaches you how to change the size of your screen resolution on Android phones and tablets. Some Android devices allow you to change the screen resolution in the Display menu in Settings. If your Android model does not, most Android devices allow you to change the pixel density in the Developer Options menu.
Change Your Android Screen Resolution
- Go to Settings > Display > Screen Resolution. Here, you can select a new resolution like HD, FHD, or WQHD (if available).
- If there is no Screen Resolution option, adjust the display size in Settings > Display > Font size and style.
- To change the pixel density, enable Developer Mode, then enter your preferred values.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Changing the Resolution
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1
Open your Android's
Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the gear icon in the resulting menu. On some Android models, you can change the screen resolution in your Settings menu.- Keep in mind this will not work on all Android phones and tablets.
2
Tap Display. It's next to an icon that resembles a sun in the Settings menu.
- If you don't see the Display option in your Settings menu, tap the icon that resembles a magnifying glass in the upper-right corner and type "Display" in the search bar to search for the Display settings.
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3
Tap Screen Resolution. It's in the middle of the Display menu.
4
Tap HD, FHD, or WQHD. HD is the lowest resolution at around 1280 x 720 pixels. FHD is a mid-range resolution at 1920 x 1080 pixels. WQHD is the highest screen resolution at 2560×1440 pixels.
- Resolutions may vary depending on the make and model of your phone or tablet. More pixels means higher resolution.
5
Tap Apply. This applies your new screen resolution settings.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Changing the Display Size
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1
Open your Android's
Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the gear icon in the resulting menu.- If you can't change the resolution manually, you can adjust the display size on your Android to make text and icons larger or smaller.
2
Tap Display (Samsung models). Alternatively, if you're using stock Android or a Google Pixel, tap Display Size to find your display size settings.[1]
3
Use the slider to increase or decrease the size. Moving the slider to the right makes the text and other items larger, and dragging it to the left makes it smaller.[2]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Changing the Pixel Density
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1
Open your Android's
Settings. Tap the Settings app icon, which resembles a colored gear, to do so.- You can also swipe down from the top of the screen and then tap the gear icon in the resulting drop-down menu.
- Changing the pixel density (DPI) does not change the resolution on your Android. It just changes how many pixels-per-inch are used. However, this can make words, text, and icons appear bigger or smaller.
- The option to change the pixel density or access developer options may not be available on all Android phone models.
2
Scroll down and tap About phone. You'll find this at the bottom of the Settings menu.
3
Scroll down to the "Build number" heading. It's near the bottom of the "About phone" menu.
- If you don't see this option, tap the icon that resembles a magnifying glass in the upper-right corner. Type "Build Model" in the search bar.
4
Tap Build number 7 times. This unlocks the Developer options menu item. You can use Developer option to change your Android's pixel density. You should see a "You are now a developer!" message pop up once developer mode has been enabled.
- Warning: Messing with developer options without knowing what you are messing with can affect your phone's performance and cause other issues. It is recommended that you back up your Android phone before messing with developer options in case you need to reset your Android device.
5
Tap the "Back" button. Doing so will take you back to the Settings page.
6
Tap Developer options. This option should be near the About phone option at the bottom of the phone.
- On some Android phones, you may need to scroll up or down to find this option.
7
Scroll down and tap Smallest width or Minimum Width. You'll find this option near the bottom of the page.[3]
- This option is near the bottom of the Developer Options page, so you may have to scroll down for quite a while before you reach it.
8
Enter a new width. Tap the text field in the middle of the pop-up window, then type in your preferred pixel density.
- Android DPI can be as low as 120 or as high as 640 (this may vary from model to model). The larger the number, the smaller the on-screen items (text, icons, etc.) will appear.
9
Tap OK. It's at the bottom of the pop-up window. Doing so will adjust your Android's pixel density.
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Community Q&A
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Question
This completely ruined my S7. Now I can't turn it off or factory reset. What do I do?
Community Answer
You have to connect the device to a computer and use ADB Shell to change the resolution back to original. Messing with Android system files can and most likely will brick your device. Always think about that before changing anything.
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Question
The command prompt isn't recognized, any ideas why? I'm not technically minded.
Community Answer
You can try restarting and resetting your device. If this doesn't work, youwh may have to take it to an expert and have them look at it.
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Thank you for your feedback.
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Question
What should I do if 'Adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file?
Sean Curran
Community Answer
On Windows, you need to enter .\ before you run a program from command prompt or Powershell. In this case, you need to enter ".\adb shell" and it will start the connection with the device. You should have a new prompt where you can enter the rest of the command from above.
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Video
Tips
You can change your phone's DPI with a handful of apps, but your Android must be rooted for these apps to work.
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You may notice distortion on your Android's on-screen keyboard after changing the resolution. You can install a keyboard that scales with DPI (such as GBoard) to fix this issue.
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While you can scale your phone's resolution up or down to increase or decrease the size of things on the screen, you can't increase your Android's resolution to a higher definition (e.g., 720p to 1080p) since the Android's physical screen itself dictates the definition.
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Warnings
Sometimes, changing your resolution will cause compatibility issues when using the Google Play store to download apps. If you encounter this issue, you can change your resolution back to the original settings, download the app, and then change the resolution again.
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About This Article
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 753,902 times.
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Co-authors: 9
Updated: July 8, 2024
Views:753,902
Categories: Android
Article SummaryX
1.Open Settings.
2.Tap About phone.
3.Tap Build number 7 times.
4.Tap the back button.
5.Tap Developer options.
6.Tap Smallest width.
7.Enter a new width.
8.Tap OK.
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