How to change the screen frequency from 120 Hz to 60 Hz on Xiaomi: all ways

120Hz refresh rate screens have become the standard solution for Xiaomi’s flagship and gaming smartphones, including the Redmi K50, POCO F4/F5, Xiaomi 12/13 and Black Shark. The high frequency provides smooth animation and interface responsiveness, but this advantage has the flip side: increased battery consumption and potential eye discomfort with prolonged use. Many users prefer to switch to classic 60Hz in everyday scenarios, leaving 120Hz for games or video watching.

In this article, we will analyze all the available ways to change the screen refresh rate on Xiaomi devices - from standard MIUI settings to hidden engineering menus and ADB commands. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances for different versions of firmware and models, as well as the consequences of changing this parameter. If your smartphone does not allow you to choose 60 Hz through the settings menu - do not be in a hurry: most likely, there is a solution, it is just hidden deeper.

Before you start making changes, consider that on some devices (such as the Black Shark 5 Pro or Redmi Note 12 Turbo), the screen frequency is tied to the performance mode, which means that a forced reduction to 60 Hz can automatically reset after a reboot or when you run demanding applications, in which cases additional manipulations will be required, which we will also talk about.

And one last thing: if you've never worked with ADB or engineering menus, don't worry. We'll detail every step, including tool preparation and possible errors, and the rule of thumb is that you make any changes at your own risk, but if you follow the instructions, the risks are minimal.

1. Standard method: MIUI settings menu

On most modern Xiaomi smartphones with support for 120 Hz (or 144 Hz for gaming models), the frequency switching option is available right in the settings.

Open the Settings app and go to the Screen section. Next, select Screen Update Frequency (on some firmwares it may be called Adaptive Frequency or Screen Smoothness) and you will see the available options here, usually 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz or Auto (Adaptive Mode).

If there is no such item on your menu, the reasons may be as follows:

• 📱 The device does not support dynamic frequency switching (for example, the budget models of the Redmi Note 10 with a fixed 90 Hz).
• 🔄 Firmware modified (castom or regional version) MIUI trimmed).
• 🔧 The option is hidden by the manufacturer (often found on Black Shark or Black Shark). POCO F for "playing" experience).

On some devices (such as Xiaomi 12T or Redmi K60), the frequency switching option can be hidden under Additional Screen Settings or Special Features. If you don't find the item in the main settings, check these tabs.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with AMOLED-In the case of screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra), a forced frequency reduction to 60 Hz can cause a "shimmering" effect at low brightness. PWM (Pulse-width modulation. If you notice discomfort, return the settings to the Auto.

Adaptive frequency: how it works and whether to turn off

Many Xiaomi smartphones offer Auto (or Adaptive Frequency) mode, which automatically adjusts the screen refresh rate to the content.

• 📱 When scrolling through social media or flipping through photos - 120 Hz.
• 🎮 In games - 120 Hz (or maximum supported frequency).
• 📖 When reading a text or watching a video – 60 Hz.

On paper, this sounds perfect, but in practice, adaptive mode can work in an unstable way: for example, not reducing the frequency in some applications or, conversely, fixing it at 60 Hz even when active, and also constantly switching frequencies consumes additional energy, which negates battery savings.

If you decide to turn off Adaptive Mode, do so in the same screen refresh rate menu by selecting a fixed value (60 Hz or 120 Hz). On some devices (for example, POCO F4 GT), this will require first deactivating the Adaptive Update option in additional settings.

3. Hidden settings: engineering menu (for experienced)

If you don't have a frequency switching option in the standard settings, you can try it on the engineering menu, which is suitable for devices where the manufacturer has hidden the choice, but hardware support for different frequencies is still there, for example, you can unlock 60 Hz on some Redmi Note 11 Pro+ or POCO X4 Pro models.

To open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code: ##4636###.
3. In the menu that appears, select Hardware Testing (or Hardware Testing).
4. Find the partition associated with the display (may be called Display, Screen, or LCD).

Inside, you can see things like Refresh Rate or Screen Refresh Rate, and try changing it to 60 and save it.

• 🔧 On some devices, changes only apply before rebooting.
• ⚠️ Incorrect settings can cause artifacts on the screen.
• 📱 Not all models support this method (on Black Shark, the engineering menu is often blocked).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with firmware MIUI If the code ##4636### doesn't work, try the alternative: ##36446337## (for screen testing). Be careful - changing unknown parameters can cause crashes!

4. Frequency change through ADB (Universal Method)

If none of the previous methods worked, the most reliable option is to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works on most Xiaomi devices, including those where the option is hidden by the manufacturer, and the advantage of ADB is that the changes are applied at the system level and are saved after the reboot.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (the official package from Google).
2. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode: go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, open the command prompt (cmd) in the Platform Tools folder, and type: adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
5. Execute the command to set a fixed frequency 60 Hz: adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 60 To return to 120 Hz Use: Adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 120

After you complete the command, restart your smartphone. The changes should take effect. If the frequency hasn't changed, try an alternative command:

adb shell settings put global min_refresh_rate 60


adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 60

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12 Pro or Redmi K50 Gaming) after frequency change through ADB Adaptive mode may be lost. To return it, do: adb shell settings delete global. peak_refresh_rate

Install Platform Tools on PC

Enable the developer mode on the phone

Activate debugging over USB

Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable

Check device detection by adb devices

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5 Problems and Solutions: What to Do When Nothing Works

Even after you have completed all the instructions, you may find that the screen frequency does not change or resets after the reboot.

If your device is a Black Shark 4/5 or other gaming model, the problem may be with the JoyUI proprietary shell, which blocks frequency changes, in which case only custom recavator firmware (such as TWRP) and manual editing of system files will help.

On POCO F3 and POCO F4 GT smartphones with MIUI 13+ firmware, 60Hz can be locked at the core level. The only workaround is using a Magisk module called Refresh Rate Modifier (requires root).

adb shell settings put global force_high_refresh_rate 0

This will reset the forced update settings.-->

6.The impact on autonomy: is it worth sacrificing smoothness for the sake of the battery

Switching from 120Hz to 60Hz does save battery life, but not as much as many people expect. According to XDA Developers, the difference in energy consumption between these modes is 10-25% depending on the use case.

• 📱 When surfing the Internet: savings ~15%.
• 🎮 In games: savings are minimal (1-3%), as the main cost is spent on the game. GPU.
• 📖 When reading or watching videos: Savings up to 20%.

However, there is a downside: on some devices (such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro), a forced frequency reduction to 60 Hz disables MIUI optimizations for smooth scrolling, which can make the interface less responsive.

If your goal is maximum autonomy, consider a combination of:

• 🔋 Fixed 60 Hz.
• 🌙 Dark topics (on the dark side) AMOLED-The screen saves up to 30% of the charge).
• 🔄 Disconnect adaptive brightness and manual setting (~50%).

💡

The biggest battery savings are not reduced screen frequency, but turned off the background activity of applications and switch to MIUI Lite (if available for your model).

7. Alternative methods: applications and firmware

If the standard methods don’t work, you can try third-party solutions, and note that most of them require an unlocked bootloader or superuser rights (root).

Applications for frequency change:

• 📱 SetEdit – allows you to edit system settings, including screen frequency (requires root).
• 🔧 Refresh Rate Changer – Works on some devices without root, but needs rights ADB.
• 🎯 QuickSwitch – a module for Magisk that adds a frequency switch to the notification panel.

Firmware with unlocked frequency:

Some custom firmware (such as Pixel Experience or LineageOS) offer flexible screen refresh rate settings, but they require:

1. Unlock the bootloader (the official method from Xiaomi takes up to 7 days).
2. Installation of TWRP or other custom recaveri.
3. Backup data (firmware erases internal memory).

Before you resort to such measures, assess the risks: loss of warranty, possible bugs in the operation of the camera or sensors, and difficulties with updates. For most users, ADB remains the most balanced solution.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the screen frequency on Xiaomi