The display of frames per second (FPS) on the Xiaomi screen is a useful feature for gamers, testers and just curious users. It allows you to monitor the performance of the device in games or the system interface in real time. However, not everyone knows that on Redmi smartphones, POCO and other brands, this parameter is hidden by default and requires special activation.
In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to turn on the FPS counter, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party applications, learn how to activate the display of frames for games through Game Turbo, turn on the system counter in the developer settings, and what nuances are important to consider for different Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others).
What is FPS and why display it on Xiaomi
FPS (Frames Per Second) stands for the number of frames a device can display in one second. The higher that number, the smoother the picture. On Xiaomi smartphones, FPS display helps:
- 🎮 Gamers – control the stability of the game (for example, in the game). PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty or Genshin Impact. FPS Below 30-40 may indicate overheating or lack of resources.
- 🔧 Testers – assess the impact of graphics settings on performance.
- 📱 Regular users – check the smoothness of the interface MIUI (Especially important after updates).
It’s important to understand that the FPS itself doesn’t affect performance, but only shows current values. However, on some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro), activating the feature through the developer’s settings can slightly increase the load on the processor due to additional text rendering on the screen.
Standard FPS ranges for smartphones:
| The importance of FPS | Smoothness assessment | Typical scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| 1–20 | Unacceptable. | Serious lags, hangings. |
| 20–30 | Acceptable. | Old games, weak devices |
| 30–60 | Good. | Most mobile games |
| 60–90 | Great. | Flagships (Xiaomi 13, POCO F5) |
| 90+ | Perfect. | Screens with frequency 120/144 Hz |
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) counter-image FPS It can cause pixels to burn out due to a static element on the screen.
Method 1: Enabling FPS through Game Turbo (for games)
The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in Game Turbo game accelerator available on most modern Xiaomi smartphones, which is suitable for displaying FPS only in games, but not in the system interface.
Instructions:
- Open any game (such as Free Fire or Mobile Legends).
- Swipe from top to bottom to call the notification bar, and tap the Game Turbo icon (the icon with the game controller).
- In the menu that opens, select the Performance tab (or FPS Monitor on newer versions of MIUI).
- Activate the Show FPS switch.
Then, in the upper right corner of the screen, a frame counter will appear, and the color of the indicator may vary depending on the load:
- 🟢 Green — FPS stable high (60)+).
- 🟡 Yellow – average productivity (30–59).
- 🔴 Red - critical falls (below 30).
Update Game Turbo to Mi App Store
Close the background applications
Connect the charger (for long sessions)
Check the temperature of the processor-->
⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) counter FPS Game Turbo may conflict with overlays of other apps (such as Discord or WhatsApp), in which case it is recommended to disable notifications for these programs while playing.
Method 2: Activate the system counter through the developer settings
If you want to display FPS not only in games but also in the MIUI interface, you have to use hidden settings for developers, which works on all Xiaomi devices, but requires pre-activation of the developer mode.
Steps:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version until you become a developer!
- Return to the main settings menu and open a new Developer section (usually located at the bottom of the list).
- Scroll down and find the USB Debugging option – turn it on (this is a must-have step to unlock additional features).
- Next, look for Show CPU Boot or Show FPS (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
- Select the counter position on the screen (for example, Top Left corner) and the color of the text.
After activation, a small indicator with the current FPS value and the CPU load will appear on the screen. On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 13), the counter can display additional data:
- 📊 CPU — processor loading.
- 🔋 GPU — graphical accelerator.
- 🌡️ Temperature - current chipset heating.
💡
If the FPS counter does not appear after activation, try restarting the device or temporarily disabling the energy-saving mode in the battery settings.
Important: On POCO Launcher shell devices (e.g., POCO F4), the path to the developer settings may be different, in which case, use a Setting Search by typing the developer request.
Method 3: Using Third-Party Applications
If built-in methods are not suitable (for example, on older models of Redmi 4X or Mi A2), you can use third-party utilities.
- 📱 Game Bench - Analyzing FPS It's a game, and it's a performance graph, and it supports export reports.
- 🎯 FPS Meter – a lightweight application with a customizable display of the counter (color, size, position).
- 🛠️ CPU Monitor shows FPS along with processor load and memory data.
Example of FPS Meter settings:
- Download the app from Google Play or Mi App Store.
- Run it and grant permission to Overlay over other applications (in the MIUI security settings).
- In the application menu, select Display Settings and adjust the appearance of the counter.
- Activate the FPS Switch.
Advantages of third-party applications:
- ✅ Works on all versions. MIUI (including MIUI 12.5 and newer).
- ✅ More opportunities for customization (fonts, transparency, animation).
- ✅ Support for recording statistics in the background.
⚠️ Attention: Some monitoring applications FPS (for example, 3C Toolbox) require root rights to work properly. On Xiaomi devices, getting root can lead to loss of warranty and problems with updates. MIUI.
Game Turbo (built-in)
FPS Meter
Game Bench
CPU Monitor
Other/Not using-->
Features for different Xiaomi models
The functionality of the FPS display may vary depending on the device model and firmware version, and below are the key nuances for popular lines:
| Model | Support for Game Turbo | System counter (developer) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | Yes (MIUI 14) | Yes. | Supports display of GPU temperature |
| POCO F5 | Yes (with update) | Yes. | Required to disable POCO Launcher for stable operation |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Yes. | Yes. | The counter is automatically hidden in some applications (Netflix, banking) |
| Redmi 10A | No. | Yes (limited) | Low screen refresh rate (60 Hz) limits maximum FPS |
| Mi 11 Lite | Yes (MIUI 12.5) | Yes. | Possible artifacts at high load |
On Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (such as the POCO X5 Pro), the FPS meter is usually more stable than on models with MediaTek chips (such as the Redmi Note 11), due to the peculiarities of the Adreno and Mali graphics accelerator drivers.
How to check the processor model on Xiaomi?
Frequent problems and their solutions
When you turn on the FPS counter, Xiaomi users may encounter typical errors. Let's consider the most common and ways to eliminate them:
- 🚫 The counter does not appear after activation Solution: Reboot the device or check if the display does not block the Power Saving mode. Some models (for example, Redmi Note 9) require additional enable the option to Show overlays in the settings of special features.
- 🔄 FPS Downloads even in simple games Solution: This may be due to background processes. Close all apps through Recent and disable autosynchronization in your Mi Account settings.
- 📉 Low. FPS high-load CPU Solution: Check the temperature of the device (if it is above 45).°C, activate Game Cooling Mode in Game Turbo, and lowering the resolution of graphics in the game settings will also help.
If the FPS counter is displayed but shows unrealistically high values (for example, 120 FPS on a 60 Hz screen), this may be due to a firmware error.
- Check for MIUI updates in Settings → System Update.
- Reset the Game Turbo settings to factory settings (in the app menu).
- Install an alternative monitoring app (e.g. Game Bench).
💡
On devices with an unlocked bootloader, the FPS counter may not work properly due to a modified kernel, in which case it is recommended to use third-party root-enabled utilities.
How to turn off FPS display on Xiaomi
If you don't need the frame meter anymore, you can easily deactivate it, depending on how you turn it on.
- 🎮 For Game Turbo: Open the Game Turbo panel while playing and turn off the switch FPS.
- ⚙️ For system counter: Go to Settings → For developers and deactivate the option Show FPS.
- 📱 For third-party applications: Open the application (for example, FPS Meter) and press Hide the counter or remove the utility.
Some devices (such as the Xiaomi Pad 6) may have an artifact in the form of a transparent rectangle after the counter is turned off, and to eliminate it, you just need to restart the tablet or temporarily change the screen resolution in the display settings.
If you notice performance improvements after deactivating the FPS (especially in games), it may indicate that the meter used to create additional loads, which sometimes happens on budget models (Redmi A1, POCO C50) due to a weak processor.