How to set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

You can set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ to save battery without sacrificing user experiences.

Samsung introduced the feature of adjustable screen resolutions in Android Nougat firmware.  This is not a feature of stock Android Nougat.

This Galaxy S8 how-t0 guide explains the rational behind setting Galaxy S8 screen resolution and how to set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What are the supported Galaxy S8 screen resolutions in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

According to the Galaxy S8 hardware specs, both Galaxy S8 and S8+ have a screen resolution of 2960×1440 (WQHD+).

This is the hardware limit of the number of pixels in Galaxy S8 and S8+ dispaly.

Because the pixel density (570PPI for S8 and 529 for S8+) is too high for normal human eyes, it is possible the scale down the resolutions to save battery and users may not notice the difference.

3 different screen resolutions are supported in Galaxy S8 and S8+:

1. WQHD+ (2960×1440).
2. FHD+ (2220×1080).
3. HD+ (1480×720)

By default Samsung set the screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ as FHD+, not the highest resolution because most owners actually do not need such a high resolution in a 5.7″ or  6.3″ screen.

Why you may want to change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

For normal human eyes, for a 6.3″ screen, full HD is probably the limit when you watch the screen from a distance of 8″.

This is one of the reasons why Samsung preset the screen resolution to FHD+ in new Galaxy S8 and S8+.

When you lower Galaxy S8 screen resolution, there will be less pixels to handle for the GPU/CPU. This translates to battery saving.

If you want to save battery aggressively when you cannot charge Galaxy S8 or S8+ for an extended period, you can scale down the screen resolution to HD+, which is still good enough for normal reading and usage.

Of course, when you use Galaxy S8 and S8+ for VR contents with Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream VR viewer, then you will need to notch up Galaxy S8 screen resolution to WQHD+.

So, whether and when you need to change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ depends on your usage.

In addition, Galaxy S8 and S8+ offer 4 performance modes (under device maintenance) : optimized mode (default) for daily use, game mode for playing games, entertainment mode for enjoying videos and audios, and high performance mode for maximum possible performance.

Among these 4 modes, the default (you can customize of ourse) screen resolution of the first two modes is FHD+ and WQHD+ for the other two.

How to change or set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+?

If you want to change Galaxy S8 screen resolution, you can go to Galaxy S8 settings.

In Galaxy S8 settings as shown below, tap Display.

In Galaxy S8 display settings page, you can then find screen resolution as shown above.

The screen resolution shows current settings. For example, in the screenshot above, it indicates current screen resolution id FHD+.

Tap Screen resolution as shown above to change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Now, in the change screen resolution page, you can select one of the three supported screen resolutions in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Remember to tap Apply as shown below after you make the selection.

Otherwise, Galaxy S8 screen resolution will not be changed.

If I change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+, does it affect my camera photos?

No, camera app has its own photo size settings inside the app.

When you change screen resolution of Galaxy S8 and S8+, only the “display” is changed. The actual pixels of a photo are not affected.

The photo size settings for Galaxy S8 camera app are not affected.

But if you take screenshot in Galaxy S8 or S8+, the size of screenshots will follow screen resolutions in Galaxy S8 or S8+.

In addition, when you share photos through some apps (for example WeChat) , these apps may resize the photo based on current screen resolution of Galaxy S8 and S8+. In this case, such apps offer the option to share the original photos without resizing them.

What is the differences between Galaxy S8 screen zoom and screen resolution?

Galaxy S8 screen zoom and screen resolution are independent.

Galaxy S8 screen zoom can “zoom in or zoom out” the text and images in the screen. It does not change the total number of pixels used for the whole screen. But the number of pixels used for an visual element changes.

When you zoom in, more pixels will be used for a letter for example, and this letter will look bigger. Consequently, the screen will show less contents,

Screen resolution in Galaxy S8 or S8+ determines the number of pixels for the whole screen. If you increase the screen resolution for example, the number of pixels used for the letter will increase and the letter looks sharper (but not bigger if font size and screen zoom level keep unchanged). The size of the pixel actually decreases.

Roughly, screen resolution adjusts the size of pixels (because screen area is fixed), and screen zoom adjusts the number of pixels used for a visual element.

Can you set screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+ now?

If you have any question or encounter any problems to set or change screen resolution in Galaxy S8 and S8+, please let us know your questions or problems in the comment box below.

The community will help you find the answer or solution.

You may also check our Galaxy S8 guides:

• Galaxy S8 new features guide covers all new and unique features of Galaxy S8 and S8+.
• Galaxy S8 how-to guides give you detailed step-by-step guides on using most features of Galaxy S8 and S8+.
• Galaxy S8 user manuals lets you download official Samsung Galaxy S8 user manuals in your won language.
• Galaxy S8 camera guides covered everything related to Galaxy S8 camera is covered in Galaxy S8 camera guides section.
• Galaxy S8 accessories guides help you find the perfect accessories for Galaxy S8 and S8+.

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