If Your Pixel 10 Is Running Slow, Change This Setting
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If you buy a new Pixel 10 and start using it right out of the box, you might notice something strange: Scrolling and swiping around Android feels a little slow and sluggish. This is especially noticeable if you’re coming from another flagship Android device or an iPhone Pro. What’s going on?
This has to do with the refresh rate of your Pixel’s display. Most displays don’t just show one static image at any given time. Instead, they “refresh,” meaning they update the image, many times per second. This is called the refresh rate: the higher the refresh rate, the smoother motion appears. A standard display typically has a refresh rate of 60Hz, but many modern devices, especially smartphones, have refresh rates of 120Hz.
If you’re used to 120Hz, 60Hz will feel choppy, as you’re literally losing half the information on the display every second. But here’s the thing: The Pixel 10’s display supports a 120Hz refresh rate, so why does it support 60Hz natively?
Google’s Battery Dilemma
As it turns out, the answer actually makes sense, and has to do with the display technology Google uses in its various devices. As Android Authority explains , the Pixel 10 Pro comes with a 120Hz refresh rate enabled by default because it uses an LTPO panel. This technology allows the display to adjust its refresh rate as needed: When scrolling, the refresh rate increases to 120Hz, but when the image is static, it can drop to 1Hz. The display can operate at whatever refresh rate is appropriate at the time, thus reducing power consumption when 120Hz is not needed.
The Pixel 10 doesn’t have an LTPO display, meaning it only supports 60Hz or 120Hz, with nothing in between or lower. This drains the battery faster than the standard 60Hz option, so Google likely disabled 120Hz for the average user who prefers longer battery life over a smoother display.
I understand the logic. It’s partly why Apple’s base iPhone models are stuck at 60Hz, though it would be nice to give users the option to go with 120Hz if they don’t mind the battery drain. But I think Google should explain this tradeoff during setup and let users decide for themselves what’s more important to them: refresh rate or battery life.
How to Enable 120Hz on Pixel 10
If you prefer a smoother display over long battery life, there’s an easy fix. Just go to Settings > Display & touch > More display controls and select Smooth display. The setting’s description says it increases the refresh rate to 120Hz “for certain content,” which results in increased battery drain.