Are you getting the best experience possible when you game on your Android?
New games are coming out all the time, and many of them are constantly pushing the boundaries of what mobile devices can do.
But here’s the thing: your Android phone has several settings that can noticeably boost gaming performance. Most of the world’s three billion mobile gamers probably just don’t know about them.
Here are eight settings you should take a look at for a smoother gaming experience.
1. Game Mode or Game Launcher
Many Android manufacturers, from Samsung to Oppo to Xiaomi, have some sort of “Game Mode” setting.
Depending on your phone, this setting can:
- Allocate more computing and battery power to games.
- Use temperature and memory data to adjust game settings automatically.
- Block background notifications.
- Record gameplay without third-party apps.
- Adjust screen refresh rate.
- Adjust touch sensitivity to be better suited for gaming.
To enable it, go to Settings > Advanced Features > Game Mode/Launcher/Booster.
The name of the setting, as well as whether it’s on by default, can vary by brand.
For example, Samsung has “Game Booster,” which is set to “balanced” by default. Set it to “performance” for maximum FPS.
2. Refresh Rate
Gone are the days when 60 FPS was the standard for buttery smooth gameplay. Many Android phones now boast 90Hz or 120Hz screens, which can offer far more fluid gaming experiences.
Many phones are only set to 60Hz to save battery, but if you’re gaming, it’s well worth cranking it up to your screen’s maximum refresh rate. Some devices allow manual GPU adjustments.
The refresh rate setting is typically under Settings > Display > Refresh Rate or inside the aforementioned Game Mode.
3. Developer Options Tweaks
Developer Options contain hidden gems for gaming. Enable it via Settings > About Phone and tap “Build Number” seven times (though the exact number might depend on your phone).
Developer Options offer you multiple settings that can improve your gaming, such as:
- Background Process Limit: Frees RAM for games, reducing stutters and crashes.
- Animation Scale Adjustments: Disabling or reducing animations (such as transition animations or ripple effects) frees up more computing power for your game.
Alone, these settings are subtle. Together, however, they can result in a noticeable performance boost, especially on resource-intensive games.
4. Adaptive Battery and App Hibernation Exceptions
Androids now have adaptive battery technology, which limits background activity to save power. However, this setting can unintentionally throttle games, especially those that rely on live data or cloud saves.
Go to Settings > Battery > Adaptive Battery to turn it off—at least whenever you game. Some phones even allow you to exclude specific apps and games from this setting, so you don’t need to toggle it on or off every time.
Similarly, app hibernation can pause apps when not in use; exemptions prevent interruptions in progress or multiplayer sessions.
5. Wi-Fi and Mobile Data
To play popular online games, having a fast internet connection is critical for an advantage. Wi-Fi settings can vary between devices, so check them out and see if anything can help.
For example, Xiaomi has “Network Optimization” to reduce packet loss.
Meanwhile, Samsung has “Prioritize Real-time Data” under the Intelligent Wi-Fi setting to give bandwidth priority to games. There is also an “Ultra Data Saving Mode” under mobile data settings—ensure that’s turned off.
This is particularly useful for stabilizing your connection if you’re gaming outside with public Wi-Fi or mobile data and are using a VPN for security.
6. Storage and RAM Management
If you primarily play open-world games like Genshin Impact, make sure that you’re not stretching your phone’s storage capacity.
After all, low storage and fragmented memory are a top cause of stuttering and crashes.
You can likely free up a lot of storage by clearing cached data from apps.
Don’t forget to also enable “RAM Extension/Expansion” (sometimes called “virtual RAM” or “RAM Plus”), which uses some of your storage to add 2-8 gigabytes of RAM to your phone.
7. Touch Sensitivity
Your phone’s touch sensor can be the difference between winning or losing, between stomping or feeding in competitive games.
If you feel like your game’s touch controls aren’t smooth or intuitive, check out your phone’s “Touch Sensitivity” setting. You can toggle it on to improve responsiveness, which is particularly helpful if you’re using a screen protector.
This setting can sometimes be found in the “Game Mode” setting, depending on the phone.
8. Dark Mode and Display Calibration
Aside from refresh rate, display settings don’t necessarily boost performance, but can still impact both comfort and clarity.
After all, up to 48% of players experience eye strain from prolonged gaming sessions. So consider enabling Dark Mode or adjusting color calibration if you’re experiencing eye strain yourself.
Some phones even have an adaptive brightness setting per app.
Conclusion
Regardless of how demanding the game you’re playing is, or your phone’s specs, these settings can make your phone feel like it’s more powerful than it is when it comes to gaming.
It only takes a few minutes to check out and toggle these settings on or off—well worth it for hours and hours of more immersive gaming.
