How to turn on 120 Hz on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide with nuances

A 120Hz refresh rate screen turns a regular smartphone into a device with ultra-smooth animation, quick response and comfortable scrolling. But many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO face a problem: the option is simply not in the settings, or the frequency is reset after rebooting. Why is it? The fact is that 120Hz is not just a marketing ploy, but a technological solution that requires support at the level of hardware, firmware and even a specific application.

In this article, we will not only discuss how to turn on 120 Hz on popular Xiaomi models (from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra), but also explain why your smartphone can artificially limit the frequency. You will learn how to check the real screen refresh rate (spoiler: not all "120 Hz" work at full), what settings eat up battery power, and what to do if the option is lost after the MIUI update.

Before we get to the settings, it’s important to understand that 120Hz ≠ is always better. With constant high frequency use, the battery goes down 15-30% faster, and some applications (for example, YouTube or Netflix) can force the frequency to reduce to 60Hz to save energy. So in this guide, we will focus not only on activation, but also smart mode management – so that smoothness does not go to the detriment of autonomy.

Which Xiaomi smartphones support 120Hz?

Not every Xiaomi phone is capable of delivering 120Hz, depending on the type of matrix, processor and firmware version.

• 📱 AMOLED- screen with support for high frequency (most models with E4 or E6 matrices).
• 🔧 Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, 8 Gen 1/2/3 or Dimensity 8000/9000 processor (budget chips like Snapdragon 680 are usually limited to 90 Hz).
• 🔄 Firmware MIUI 13+ (older versions may be hidden).

Below is a table with the popular models and their maximum refresh rate, and note that even if your smartphone is on the list, the actual frequency may vary due to regional restrictions or custom firmware.

⚠️ Warning: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed), 120Hz is only available in game mode or when connected to charging. Check the specifications of your model on Xiaomi's official website - sometimes the manufacturer deliberately limits the feature to different regions.

Step-by-step: how to turn on 120 Hz in the MIUI settings

If your smartphone supports 120Hz but the option is hidden, follow this instruction. Importantly, the path to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (13, 14 or HyperOS).

1. Open Settings → Display.

2.Look for the "Screen Update Frequency" (or Refresh Rate in Global Firmware).

3. Select 120Hz (or Auto if you want adaptive frequency).

4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

If there's no item, your model doesn't support manual switching, but there are workarounds!

Check the support of the model in the table above|Update MIUI last-minute|Activate the Developer Mode|Try to turn on through ADB-team|Reset the screen settings to factory-->

🔹 For adaptive frequency models (LTPO):

In phones with LTPO- screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the frequency is automatically adjusted from 1 to 120 Hz.

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the Minimum Update Rate and set 120 Hz.

💡

If the frequency dropped to 60 Hz after the MIUI update, try resetting the screen settings: Settings → Display → Resetting screen settings. This often helps to return hidden options.

How to check the actual screen refresh rate

Many users think they've chosen 120Hz, but in fact, the screen is running at 60 or 90Hz, because of MIUI optimizations or application limitations, to find out the actual frequency:

📌 Method 1: Through embedded tools

1. Enable Developer Mode (as described above).

2. Go to Settings → Developer → Update Frequency Monitor.

3. Turn on the option - in the upper right corner will appear the current frequency counter.

📌 Method 2: Special Applications

Install one of these apps from Google Play:

• 📊 Refresh Rate Test: The current and maximum frequency.
• 🎯 Display Tester – Tests screen response and Hz stability.
• 🔍 CPU Monitor - displays the frequency in real time (requires root for some functions).

⚠️ Warning: Some apps (e.g. Chrome or Instagram) force the frequency limit to 60Hz to save battery. To get around this, turn on the game mode (Settings → Special Features → Game Turbo Mode) and add the app to the list of Accelerated.

Why 120Hz doesn’t work: common problems and solutions

You've turned on 120 Hz, but the screen is still "braking"? Here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

🔹 If after the update MIUI, the 120 Hz item is missing:

This is a common problem at Redmi and POCO.

1. Make a backup copy of the data.
2. Install firmware through Fastboot (instructions on XDA Developers).
3. Or roll back to the previous version of MIUI via Recovery.

How to fix 120 Hz in games and applications

By default, MIUI limits 120Hz in most games and some apps (like YouTube or Google Chrome) to unlock the maximum frequency:

🎮 For games:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Game turbo mode.
2. Add the game to the list and activate the option “High refresh rate”.
3. In the game graphics settings, select the maximum quality (sometimes the frequency is tied to the resolution).

🌐 For conventional applications:

Use ADB- commands (you need a computer and debugging on USB):

adb shell settings put global force_high_refresh_rate 1


adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 120

After you execute the commands, restart the phone. This will force the system to use 120Hz wherever possible.

💡

The turbo mode not only unlocks 120Hz, but also disables background processes, improving FPS. However, this increases the heat - watch the temperature of the processor!

⚠️ Warning: Some apps (e.g. Netflix or Disney+) block high frequency due to DRM- protection, in which case only root or a modified version of the app (e.g. Netflix Mod) will help.

The Impact of 120 Hz on Autonomy: How to Save Battery

According to GSMArena tests, using 120Hz increases battery consumption by 20–30% compared to 60Hz. But there are ways to reduce consumption without losing smoothness:

• 🔋 Use adaptive frequency (if there is a LTPO- screen).
• 🌑 Turn on the dark theme — on AMOLED- screens, this saves up to 15% charge.
• ⚡ Turn off Adaptive Brightness and set a fixed value (e.g., 70%).
• 🎯 In games, limit FPS through graphics settings (e.g., 90 FPS at 120Hz screen).

📊 Autonomy comparison (test on Xiaomi 13 Pro):

The POCO F5 Pro and Redmi K60 have a hidden feature called "Battery Savings at High Frequency" - it automatically reduces brightness and limits background processes when 120Hz is turned on. Activated via the battery settings → "Power Modes".

Alternative ways to unlock 120 Hz (for advanced)

If standard methods have not worked, try these options. ⚠️ Careful: Some actions require unlocking the bootloader or root rights and may result in a loss of warranty.

🔧 Method 1: Configuration modification via ADB

Connect your phone to your PC and do:

adb shell settings put global min_refresh_rate 120


adb shell settings put global peak_refresh_rate 120

Then restart the device. This will force 120Hz as the minimum frequency.

🔧 Method 2: Edit build.prop (root required)

1. Open /system/build.prop file in any root-access text editor.

2. Add the lines:

ro.vendor.display.refresh_min=120


ro.vendor.display.refresh_max=120

3. Save and restart the phone.

🔧 Method 3: Castomic core or firmware

XDA Developers or 4PDA forums have modified cores (like Perseus or FrancoKernel) that unlock hidden frequencies. note that this can cause stability issues.

FAQ: Frequent questions about 120Hz on Xiaomi