In 2020, Samsung introduced a smartphone series featuring a 120 Hz refresh rate, significantly improving efficiency and the visual experience. While other manufacturers offer similar refresh rates, its upgraded processor makes Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series even better.
However, some users have found that the high refresh rate drains the battery quickly. To resolve this issue, switching to a 96-Hz refresh rate can help, although it may slightly reduce screen performance. This option has yet to be well-known, so let’s explore how to enable it.
How to Enable the Galaxy S20 Series’ 96Hz Refresh Rate
What are the steps I need to follow to change the refresh rate on my Samsung Galaxy S20?
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Series originally came with a 120Hz refresh rate, but it can be changed to 96Hz through a back-end process. Even though it may seem complicated, this guide will show you how it is done. The Galaxy S20 series can switch between four refresh rates: 48 Hz, 60 Hz, 96 Hz, and 120 Hz. In this case, we will change to 96 Hz. Here’s how:
- Navigate to the settings menu on your phone.
- Scroll down to About, then tap the Build number seven times.
- Enable developer mode and USB debugging.
- Download the ADB Platform Tools.
- Extract the downloaded file, go to the extracted folder, and type “cmd” in the address bar.
- Connect your Galaxy S20 series to your PC with a USB cable and allow the USB debugging prompt.
- Enter the following commands at the command prompt: adb shell settings: system peak refresh rate is 96.0 adb shell settings: system min_refresh_rate = 96.0
- Your Galaxy S20’s refresh rate should now be set to 96Hz. To confirm, visit testufo.com and check your device’s refresh rate. To switch back to 120 Hz or another supported refresh rate, navigate to Settings >> Display >> Motion Smoothness >> Choose 120Hz. Or, replace the value of 96.0 in the ADB command with the desired refresh rate.
Moreover, to save the user from the manual process mentioned above, a developer named “Sathishtony” created an app that lets you change your screen refresh rate with a single tap. All you need to do is download the app from here. Then, you will see two toggles, one for 96 Hz and the other for 120 Hz. Please choose the one you want and verify that it’s working by checking testufo.com.
While lowering the refresh rate may affect screen performance, it can help your phone’s battery resist draining. If you find it doesn’t work for some reason, you can switch back to 120 Hz, as previously mentioned. You can also reach out to Samsung Support if you have any battery drain issues. Although reducing the refresh rate will degrade screen performance, if it fixes battery drain, it may be worth it. If you have questions, please let us know.