Google’s Pixel phones are already quick, but a handful of thoughtful tweaks can make them feel dramatically snappier. After refining a daily-driver Pixel with these ten settings, scrolling became silkier, apps launched with less hesitation, and background slowdowns largely disappeared. None of this is magic—just smart use of tools Google bakes into Android that many people overlook.
- 1) Turn on Smooth Display (120Hz)
- 2) Reduce animation scales to 0.5x
- 3) Keep storage under 80% and auto-archive
- 4) Use Adaptive Battery and rein in hogs
- 5) Enable app hibernation for unused apps
- 6) Tame network churn with Adaptive Connectivity
- 7) Disable Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth scanning you don’t use
- 8) Pare back live wallpapers and heavy widgets
- 9) Tighten location access to “While using”
- 10) Consider “Force peak refresh rate”
- Bonus: Game Dashboard performance profiles
These adjustments were tested on recent Pixels running current Android builds, though menu names may vary by model. Where relevant, I’ve included why the change helps, drawing on Android platform guidance and common performance principles from developers and benchmarking labs.
1) Turn on Smooth Display (120Hz)
Go to Settings > Display > Smooth Display and enable it. At 120Hz, the screen redraws twice as often as 60Hz, cutting the frame budget from roughly 16.7ms to 8.3ms. Android engineers have long noted that missed frame deadlines are what users perceive as “jank,” so the higher refresh rate makes animations and scrolling feel instantly more responsive. Expect a modest battery trade-off.
2) Reduce animation scales to 0.5x
Enable Developer options by tapping Settings > About phone > Build number seven times, then open Settings > System > Developer options. Set Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale to 0.5x. This doesn’t change raw CPU speed; it shortens the animation time so actions complete faster, which users consistently equate with speed in UX research from Android Developers.
3) Keep storage under 80% and auto-archive
Open Settings > Storage and free space; in Google Photos use “Free up space,” and in the Play Store enable Auto-archive for rarely used apps. Flash memory slows as it fills due to write amplification—storage analyses from outlets like AnandTech have documented measurable drops when capacity gets tight. Keeping healthy headroom reduces app launch stalls and file-write hiccups.
4) Use Adaptive Battery and rein in hogs
Head to Settings > Battery > Adaptive Battery and turn it on. Then visit Settings > Apps > See all apps, choose heavy apps (social, maps, video), and set Battery to “Restricted” if they misbehave in the background. Android’s app standby buckets and power management, documented by Google’s Android Vitals program, reduce background wakeups that can steal CPU and RAM from foreground tasks.
5) Enable app hibernation for unused apps
Go to Settings > Apps > Unused apps and toggle “Remove permissions and free up space.” Hibernated apps shed temporary files and lose background privileges, lightening the load on storage and system services. It’s an easy way to clean up without fully uninstalling.
6) Tame network churn with Adaptive Connectivity
Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and enable Adaptive connectivity. When 5G is marginal, rapid radio switching can induce stutter in data-heavy apps. Adaptive connectivity prioritizes stability and intelligently shifts between 5G and LTE, which can smooth streaming and browsing performance, especially indoors.
7) Disable Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth scanning you don’t use
Under Settings > Location > Location services, turn off Wi‑Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning if you don’t rely on them for location accuracy. These background scans generate periodic wakeups that contend for resources. Android’s own best practices advise curbing unnecessary scans to reduce jank and save power.
8) Pare back live wallpapers and heavy widgets
Switch to a static wallpaper in Settings > Wallpaper & style, and remove seldom-used, data-refreshing widgets. Live wallpapers and constantly updating tiles tax the GPU, CPU, and network on every home-screen visit. Trimming them clears the runway for faster home launches and app switching.
9) Tighten location access to “While using”
In Settings > Privacy > Permission manager > Location, change frequently used apps to “Allow only while using.” Continuous background location is one of the most expensive operations on a phone, and Android’s privacy dashboards show how often it wakes the system. Limiting it returns cycles to the tasks you’re actively doing.
10) Consider “Force peak refresh rate”
If you want maximum fluidity, in Developer options enable “Force peak refresh rate.” This keeps supported screens at their highest rate more often, further reducing visible stutter in scrolling-heavy apps. It costs more battery than standard Smooth Display, so it’s best for users who value responsiveness above endurance.
Bonus: Game Dashboard performance profiles
For supported titles, open a game, swipe to access Game Dashboard, and choose a performance-oriented profile. Google’s Game Mode APIs let titles optimize frame pacing and CPU/GPU behavior; when available, it’s an easy win for smoother play.
Individually, these tweaks are small. Together, they add up to a Pixel that feels faster where it matters: touch response, scroll fluidity, and fewer slowdowns when you’re jumping between apps. The core idea aligns with Android platform guidance and developer telemetry—keep background work in check, reduce UI overhead, and maintain healthy storage headroom. Do that, and your Pixel will punch above its weight for a long time.