Related
I posted a similar guide for my Galaxy SII, so I figured I would share the love here. Hopefully this helps out a few folks who want to better utilize the amazing screen on the GSIII. I am manually copying this from my post in the now closed combined GSIII forums. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions and please "thank" if you appreciate the post!
General Info for Beginners:
The Galaxy SIII comes with a gorgeous 4.8 inch, 1280 x 720 (albeit pentile) screen. As great as the screen looks, I couldn't help but feel that there is a lot of "wasted space" at the existing resolution. The best example of this fact is the app drawers default 4 x 5 layout. In my opinion, things look much better when the the icons are a bit smaller and more tightly grouped. For those that feel the same way, there is a simple build.prop edit you can do to "trick" you phone to thinking it is set to a higher resolution
How-To Change the Density Setting:
To accomplish this, all you have to do is change the build.prop setting for "ro.sf.lcd_density". There are multiple programs out there that makes this much easier but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion so try out different setups and see what you like best. Remember, the lower you set the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate. I suggest starting from about 280 or so and working your way down and find something you like.
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, I think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice.
"Phone Mode" vs "Tablet Mode"
As some posters have reported, going to 240 dpi or below will result in Android thinking your device is a tablet. I have been running 240 for a few days now and I'm loving it. In my opinion, may apps look a lot better in Tablet mode but if there are certain phone only apps you MUST have, please keep this in mind.
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the GSIII were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps and aspects of the OS will not scale well with a higher resolution::
- TouchWiz UX Launcher: If you are dead-set on using the default TW launcher, this mod may not be for you. The proportions will look way off and because you cannot edit things like margin or grid layout, it is not fixable. Aftermarket launchers like Apex handle the conversion much better (more on that later)
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, you can use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the Play Store
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. You can flash the AOSP version of e-mail as a workaround
- Stock Camera App: You will notice some of the border coloring and margins doesn't scale very well but the functionality is still perfect
- Notification Bar: I have noticed the little lines in the pull-down become off-center after you adjust the dpi. Again, a minor annoyance which doesn't effect functionality
- Twitter:*You may have profile pictures show up in 2 different sizes (Thanks Msilvame!)
Some additional feedback from other posters(thanks mhtruth!) but note that I personally do not have all of these issues
*status bar quick toggles DON'T scroll (stuck with just the 1st 5)
*status bar "remove all (X)" missing (swiping still works)
* in call speaker boost doesn't work...(only stops you from hearing not the person on the other end)
* some apps go into tablet mode (ex. HBO GO)
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may appear too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons, notification pull down buttons
- I recently had a chance to mess with some JB ROMs and found that the lockscreen slider/phone answer slider does not scale well and is oriented towards the right of the screen. Boo
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the lcd settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to a stock dpi but for some reason, this only works for a little while. LCD Density Modder Pro has a feature where it can install a "fixed" Play Store app that can help with this issue also, but there is also a workaround.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (320)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this small annoyance is worth it.
Also, one thing I noticed when using Rom Toolbox is that after you set your dpi to a lower setting using the "build.prop tweaks" menu, if you go back and try to set it to the stock 320, it will max out at 280 or so. Not sure why this is the case but to do this manually, go to "build.prop editor" instead and change the "ro.sf.lcd_density" to 320.
I have been told that setting your dpi to 240 will also help with Play Store issues, since 240 is a stock resolution on other devices (GSII comes to mind). Feel free to try this out, but the size of icons and fonts may be a bit too small for some tastes (thanks DutchDogg54 and chakra!)
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously, as the TW launcher does not scale well at all. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different homescreen grid configurations now that you have extra room. I have bumped up mine to 5 x 5 and it looks great.
Bumping up the font size can also help even things out. At 240 dpi, I put mine to "normal", but at stock I used "tiny" (thanks falconator!)
List of all the ICS compatible launchers that will work for this mod:
- Apex Launcher (my fave)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher (new!)
- Holo Launcher (new!)
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
Update: I have added some of my and mhtruth's screenshots for those who are interested. I also added a screenshot of HBO GO in tablet mode
My setup:
- 240 dpi (Tablet Mode)
- AOKP M6 R3, Black Exodus Theme
- Apex Launcher
- Homescreen: 6 x 5 grid, Horizontal Margin: Medium, Vertical Margin: Large
- Dock: Horizontal Margin: Large, Vertical Margin: Medium
- Font Size: "Normal"
Feel free to show off your own homescreen screenshots! I will update OP and add yours too!
I was just complaining about this to myself this morning. Thank you for sharing this. I'm definitely going to try messing with this.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
I find that ROM toolbox is kind of buggy on the GS3.
There use to be an app o the market that did this and it stuck on boot. I hate messing with build prop myself. Someone should whip up a new app.
-me being lazy lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Update:
Since 8/10 I have been running the AMAZING Paranoid Android ROM and I am in love with this. For anyone who liked the LCD Density Mod posted above, you should definitely check out this ROM. I got to experience it just a bit with my GSII and continue to be impressed with my GSIII.
I suggest you try "Phablet" Mode at first. The advantage to this ROM is that it allows you to individually adjust the density of each app separately as well as prevents market incompatibility issues. This is a MUST for people who like things at a setting other than 240.
Hope this helps!
Stuck in boot
after 3 hours of getting it rooted, i got the density app, i may of gotten the lcd density modder , i didnt know there was 2 kinds. but i put it to 200, rebooted and now i try to turn on and it goes to samsung logo but then just turns off again, what do i do?
Well, if it didnt back up your build.prop then the easiest thing would be to flash a rom.
Or if you have a nandroid restore just the system part.
Otherwise plug up to your computer and oull your build.prop, set it back to default and push it back to system.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
I'm running AOKP milestone 1 on my SGSIII, when I change my density I get screen flashes. Is this the incompatibility your talking about? I've tried different DPIs with the same result. I've used the density changer built into ROM control, as well as ROM toolbox, both with the same results. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Let me make a few notes:
First, stock ics touchwiz ROMs do not like anything lower than 240. This means any ROM that is touchwiz based off stock ics will result in boot loops.. trust me been there -.-
Secondly, don't waste your money on the LCD density mod app to fix the market. I've already fixed the market. Just flash my zip found [MOD][APP][UPDATE 3.10.10] 320DPI GoogleServicesFramework and google play and you should be golden. Don't have a custom recovery, then extract the files from the zip and use a root file browser to copy them to the system/app directory.
Oh and 240 isn't tablet mode. I'm currently at 210 and it's not tablet mode.. I don't remember what it was.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
So..... Any recommendations on the screen flashing after changing the density?
elterible said:
I posted a similar guide for my Galaxy SII, so I figured I would share the love here. Hopefully this helps out a few folks who want to better utilize the amazing screen on the GSIII. I am manually copying this from my post in the now closed combined GSIII forums. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions and please "thank" if you appreciate the post!
General Info for Beginners:
The Galaxy SIII comes with a gorgeous 4.8 inch, 1280 x 720 (albeit pentile) screen. As great as the screen looks, I couldn't help but feel that there is a lot of "wasted space" at the existing resolution. The best example of this fact is the app drawers default 4 x 5 layout. In my opinion, things look much better when the the icons are a bit smaller and more tightly grouped. For those that feel the same way, there is a simple build.prop edit you can do to "trick" you phone to thinking it is set to a higher resolution
How-To Change the Density Setting:
To accomplish this, all you have to do is change the build.prop setting for "ro.sf.lcd_density". There are multiple programs out there that makes this much easier but I have found the best results with "ROM Toolbox". Feel free to buy the full version to support the dev but if all you are looking to do is change the density setting, the lite version will do just fine.
1. download and install "ROM Toolbox" from the Google Play Store
2. go to the "Performance" tab
3. click "build.prop tweaks"
4. change the "LCD Density" slider to whatever DPI you like
5. reboot
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
What Setting to Choose:
This is matter of personal opinion so try out different setups and see what you like best. Remember, the lower you set the number, the smaller your icons/text will appear but will also give you more screen real estate. I suggest starting from about 280 or so and working your way down and find something you like.
You may also notice that text and icons appear less sharp when messing with these settings. Keep in mind that because you are not truly changing your screen resolution, the translation will not be perfect. Personally, given the natural sharpness of AMOLED screens, I think most people while not be bothered by this or even notice.
"Phone Mode" vs "Tablet Mode"
As some posters have reported, going to 240 dpi or below will result in Android thinking your device is a tablet. I have been running 240 for a few days now and I'm loving it. In my opinion, may apps look a lot better in Tablet mode but if there are certain phone only apps you MUST have, please keep this in mind.
Potential Issues and Workarounds:
You will inevitably run into some compatibility issues so here are few final thoughts
Which ROM to use?
TouchWiz-based Roms: All roms based on stock Samsung TW for the GSIII were written with only the native resolution in mind. This means that certain apps and aspects of the OS will not scale well with a higher resolution::
- TouchWiz UX Launcher: If you are dead-set on using the default TW launcher, this mod may not be for you. The proportions will look way off and because you cannot edit things like margin or grid layout, it is not fixable. Aftermarket launchers like Apex handle the conversion much better (more on that later)
- The Phone Dialer: The dialer looks like small box that fills up only a portion of the screen. To resolve, you can use an aftermarket dialer app like "exDialer" from the Play Store
- TW E-mail App: The TW e-mail app (not gmail) also doesn't scale well. You can flash the AOSP version of e-mail as a workaround
- Stock Camera App: You will notice some of the border coloring and margins doesn't scale very well but the functionality is still perfect
- Notification Bar: I have noticed the little lines in the pull-down become off-center after you adjust the dpi. Again, a minor annoyance which doesn't effect functionality
- Twitter:*You may have profile pictures show up in 2 different sizes (Thanks Msilvame!)
Some additional feedback from other posters(thanks mhtruth!) but note that I personally do not have all of these issues
*status bar quick toggles DON'T scroll (stuck with just the 1st 5)
*status bar "remove all (X)" missing (swiping still works)
* in call speaker boost doesn't work...(only stops you from hearing not the person on the other end)
* some apps go into tablet mode (ex. HBO GO)
AOSP ROMs: CM9 and AOKP handle the conversion a bit better. You won't run into the dialer or e-mail issue like with TW ROMs but there are still some bugs.
- Certain pictures of contacts may appear too zoomed in, i.e. messaging notification pictures or the favorites tab
- Other aspects of the OS may become hard to read when scaled down so much, i.e. lock screen add-on buttons, notification pull down buttons
- I recently had a chance to mess with some JB ROMs and found that the lockscreen slider/phone answer slider does not scale well and is oriented towards the right of the screen. Boo
The Play Store Doesn't Show All Apps? - This is the biggest pain in the a$$ when you mess with the lcd density settings. There is a bug in the play store that prevents you from seeing certain apps when you change the lcd settings away from default.
I have seen a few "hacked" versions of the vending.apk out there that makes the play store think you are always set to a stock dpi but for some reason, this only works for a little while. LCD Density Modder Pro has a feature where it can install a "fixed" Play Store app that can help with this issue also, but there is also a workaround.
Here are the steps to get the market working again:
1. Change LCD Density back to stock (320)
2. Reboot to take effect
3. Clear the data for the Google Play Store AND Google Services Framework
4. Open the Play Store app and you should see everything again
5. Change LCD density back to whatever you like.
6. Reboot
I know this is a bit cumbersome but it's the best solution for now. I haven't quite nailed down what triggers the market to "break" but hopefully you won't have to do this fix too often. In opinion, this small annoyance is worth it.
Also, one thing I noticed when using Rom Toolbox is that after you set your dpi to a lower setting using the "build.prop tweaks" menu, if you go back and try to set it to the stock 320, it will max out at 280 or so. Not sure why this is the case but to do this manually, go to "build.prop editor" instead and change the "ro.sf.lcd_density" to 320.
I have been told that setting your dpi to 240 will also help with Play Store issues, since 240 is a stock resolution on other devices (GSII comes to mind). Feel free to try this out, but the size of icons and fonts may be a bit too small for some tastes (thanks DutchDogg54 and chakra!)
Everything Looks Too "Stretched Out"? - Having an aftermarket launcher will help with this tremendously, as the TW launcher does not scale well at all. I personally use Apex Launcher and there are some settings you can change to make the proportions look better
1. Homescreen Settings: Change the Vertical and Horizontal margins to medium or large
2. Dock Settings: Same as above.
You may also want to mess with different homescreen grid configurations now that you have extra room. I have bumped up mine to 5 x 5 and it looks great.
Bumping up the font size can also help even things out. At 240 dpi, I put mine to "normal", but at stock I used "tiny" (thanks falconator!)
List of all the ICS compatible launchers that will work for this mod:
- Apex Launcher (my fave)
- Nova Launcher
- Go Launcher
- Atom Launcher (new!)
- Holo Launcher (new!)
And that's it. I hope this will help you out so that you won't have to go through all the trial and error I did. I promise you, after you do this, it will be impossible for you to go back to the stock resolution (everything looks HUGE)
Update: I have added some of my and mhtruth's screenshots for those who are interested. I also added a screenshot of HBO GO in tablet mode
My setup:
- 240 dpi (Tablet Mode)
- AOKP M6 R3, Black Exodus Theme
- Apex Launcher
- Homescreen: 6 x 5 grid, Horizontal Margin: Medium, Vertical Margin: Large
- Dock: Horizontal Margin: Large, Vertical Margin: Medium
- Font Size: "Normal"
Feel free to show off your own homescreen screenshots! I will update OP and add yours too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im running a stock rom on a Chinese phone (W9208) and i dont have LCD density...apps dont work either...is there hope for me?
rndm said:
Im running a stock rom on a Chinese phone (W9208) and i dont have LCD density...apps dont work either...is there hope for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not too familiar with that model. pardon me if this is a stupid question but i'm assuming you mean "stock android"?
if so, then you're fine. download an app that will let you change the LCD density manually in the buildprop (i.e. Rom Toolbox). find the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" and change to whatever you like.
The tricky part here is to find the right number. I wrote this guide a while back for my Galaxy S3, which ran 320 dpi natively at it's 720p resolution. To achieve tablet mode (and retain compatibility with the Google Playstore), I changed it to 240. My current device (nexus 5) runs 1080p which has a stock dpi of 480. To achieve tablet mode, i changed to 320. Does this make sense? Again, it's tricky b/c i'm not sure what resolution your phone is
Well, i hope this helps, good luck!
elterible said:
I'm not too familiar with that model. pardon me if this is a stupid question but i'm assuming you mean "stock android"?
if so, then you're fine. download an app that will let you change the LCD density manually in the buildprop (i.e. Rom Toolbox). find the line "ro.sf.lcd_density" and change to whatever you like.
The tricky part here is to find the right number. I wrote this guide a while back for my Galaxy S3, which ran 320 dpi natively at it's 720p resolution. To achieve tablet mode (and retain compatibility with the Google Playstore), I changed it to 240. My current device (nexus 5) runs 1080p which has a stock dpi of 480. To achieve tablet mode, i changed to 320. Does this make sense? Again, it's tricky b/c i'm not sure what resolution your phone is
Well, i hope this helps, good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?
rndm said:
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should be able to manually add in the line yourself.
but a word of warning, given that i have no experience with "Star" and no idea what version of android is on there, I would proceed with caution if you do that
since you have it rooted, is there any way you can flash a completely stock custom version of android on there? is there any development support for it here on XDA?
rndm said:
I wish it was stock android:crying:
Star's (Chinese manufacturer) manipulation of android to copy Samsung's touchwiz.
my device is 720p and has a 6.4 inch screen...hence me wanting to change the dpi...not sure what the dpi currently is but the drop-down status bar toggles labels are squashed.
I rooted and installed loads of dpi apps and none worked. Then I looked for "ro.sf.lcd_density" and realised I don't have one in my build prop. Know any fixes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use "Build.prop Editor" app and add that entry yourself. That's least painful way.
Perseus71 said:
You can use "Build.prop Editor" app and add that entry yourself. That's least painful way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great didn't know I could do that, however i might leave it now...
I installed texdroider and I couldn't type any numbers in the dpi change box (probably because it directly edits the lcd density registry, which i didn't have)
Then after that I installed LCD density modder app which put my phone into a bootloop after setting 300dpi
So I assume even after adding the entry I wont have much room to play with anyway?
---------- Post added at 10:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 AM ----------
elterible said:
you should be able to manually add in the line yourself.
but a word of warning, given that i have no experience with "Star" and no idea what version of android is on there, I would proceed with caution if you do that
since you have it rooted, is there any way you can flash a completely stock custom version of android on there? is there any development support for it here on XDA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried searching Mediatek LCD desnsity change but to no avail. Thanks anyway.
rockyhas said:
after 3 hours of getting it rooted, i got the density app, i may of gotten the lcd density modder , i didnt know there was 2 kinds. but i put it to 200, rebooted and now i try to turn on and it goes to samsung logo but then just turns off again, what do i do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned, there are multiple programs out there but based on my personal experiences, DO NOT USE "LCD DENSITY MODDER" from the play store. This app is known to cause soft-bricks/bootloops. However, I have been told that LCD Density Modder CAN still help with the Play Store app issue, but you will have to buy the pro version for that feature. Thanks uber_mike! (more on that later)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're screwed. Do a reset.
I did the LCD changes through playstore i ddint see this thread and now my phone logo comes but black screen after hard rest nothing working help HTc Sensation xl
Hello! If anyone here uses the xposed module for their phone, you could post your favorite module here!
My favorite: XBLAST tools.
A huge amount of ui, system, and general phone settings.
Just, awesome.
Sent from my SGH-I927 using Tapatalk
per app density
hey I'm currently using only the PER APP DENSITY MODULE from this site: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2072081&nocache=1
basically is paranoid android dpi per app changing feature for non PA roms..
to change the overall dpi settings i use TEXDROIDER DPI app from the playstore (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.texdroider.texdroider_dpi) but if I go from 240 to 160, it would mess up the dialer so I needed per app dpi settings.
they make a pretty great combination..
with this module you can change the DPI, the font scale, resolution, language, orientation, fullscreen force or prevention, and some other features.
hope anybody finds this usefull
XPrivacy
My favorite module for XPosed is XPrivacy.
It's a per-app permission tuner. It allows you to remove some permissions for applications that you prefer to have under control.
For example: for me it's annoying that official facebook app starts GPS even if you have disabled all location settings inside it.
With this module you can prevent facebook to get your location (or even fake one) among many other things, respecting your privacy and saving battery.
Collection of XPOSED Modules
Hi all, please see the below thread. Only sharing the info as this was posted on the Verizon N4 forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/root-want-to-modify-dpi-t2960644
Hope this helps...
As indicated below some touchwiz native apps are affected.
List of known affected applications by changing DPI settings:
S-View (for S-View covers -- slightly misaligned but functional)
Touchwiz Stock Dialer (slightly misaligned but functional -- other non-stock options exist such as Hangouts or ExDialer)
Fingerprint lockscreen (arrow pointing to finger print scanner off center)
Exchange email (stock Samsung Email)
Stock Camera App
Just FYI to get some easy download links:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/root-want-to-modify-dpi-t2960644
Enable USB debugging on yer phone
-> http://www.mediafire.com/download/a4hd8y0c1iakysk/Samsung-Usb-Driver-v1.5.49.0.exe
Samsung USB drivers you'll need installed
-> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=48915118#post48915118
ADB / Fastboot installer
navigate to C:\adb\ and then run the command they give in the thread
adb shell wm density 540
(not confirmation will be sent but your phone should prompt you to 'allow' your computer to send adb commands to it.).
Restart phone
DPI settings are now at 540. original DPI settings are 640 BTW
imnoob55 said:
Hi all, please see the below thread. Only sharing the info as this was posted on the Verizon N4 forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/root-want-to-modify-dpi-t2960644
Hope this helps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came across that thread a few hours ago. It's pretty neat to be able to drop the density and make more use of display space (could even drop it down to 384 and make it look more like a tablet), but it has its problems. Samsung apps (Dialer, camera, S Note, S-View, etc) will lose their screen alignment and/or only cover a portion of the screen when altering the density. Finding an alternate dialer was easy enough, but I'm having trouble finding a camera app similar to stock in quality, and was unsuccessful at replacing the S-View...
redphazon said:
I came across that thread a few hours ago. It's pretty neat to be able to drop the density and make more use of display space (could even drop it down to 384 and make it look more like a tablet), but it has its problems. Samsung apps (Dialer, camera, S Note, S-View, etc) will lose their screen alignment and/or only cover a portion of the screen when altering the density. Finding an alternate dialer was easy enough, but I'm having trouble finding a camera app similar to stock in quality, and was unsuccessful at replacing the S-View...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup unfortunately that is a side-effect of doing this. Only way to do it that I am aware of conventionally would be via xposed or loading in custom TW apps, both not possible. Hangout dialer works well, for this. TW stock browser is not affected. My S-Note is not affected either, too. Dialer and S-View are (not unusable, they just are not center-aligned any longer as their height/width are set on static widths rather than proportional % when Samsung set up the layout.) Maybe they'll change that in L.
BTW I use Nova for launcher and Hangouts as my dialer. I do use an s-view case, though, which is of course impacted.
imnoob55 said:
Yup unfortunately that is a side-effect of doing this. Only way to do it that I am aware of conventionally would be via xposed or loading in custom TW apps, both not possible. Hangout dialer works well, for this. TW stock browser is not affected. My S-Note is not affected either, too. Dialer and S-View are (not unusable, they just are not center-aligned any longer as their height/width are set on static widths rather than proportional % when Samsung set up the layout.) Maybe they'll change that in L.
BTW I use Nova for launcher and Hangouts as my dialer. I do use an s-view case, though, which is of course impacted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also using Nova Launcher. I did download ExDialer at first, but I went to Hangouts Dialer instead since ExDialer has a trial period and costs money.
S Note is largely unaffected yes, but when you open the camera for copying documents, the square used for aligning the camera with the document is off-center. It doesn't seem to hurt functionality in any way, though. Oddly enough, the camera when used in S Note is fullscreen...
As far as S-View goes, I'm thinking about removing the flip cover. S-View is nice, but I'm always trying to not get smudges on the cover screen on top of the phone display, so the cover is a little bit cumbersome to me when holding it. Seeing how much better the phone looks at a lower density makes me lean even closer to just getting rid of it. That leaves me with just the camera replacement...
Exchange email is also broken... when you reply to an email, the screen font is set to eleventybillion.
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Sent with my Galaxy Note 4
Can anyone confirm if this impacts the play store? Typically changing the dpi on the whole device would prevent the play store from downloading some apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
jfenton78 said:
Can anyone confirm if this impacts the play store? Typically changing the dpi on the whole device would prevent the play store from downloading some apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
I haven't seen any problems with the Play Store yet, though I haven't been installing much of anything, either. The few apps I've installed so far gave me no trouble.
Also, just found out that the stock camera has no problems with accurate button detection when the phone is turned sideways for landscape rotation, though it's still not fullscreen. You have to guess where the buttons are on the screen in portrait when the density is changed.
Couple of tips:
if you get an error about the device being offline make sure you've got the current ADB installed. The link provided for the adb and fastboot didn't work for me because the file didn't install. The program is just an auto run zip file. you can open with 7-zip and just extract the adb files.
also if you get an error about the device being unauthorized you must select no action on the windows pop up and always perform this action. the phone should then get a pop up with the RSA key number and ask you to authorize. hope this helps.
540 DPI is pretty nice.
I was okay with the dialer and lockscreen, but the camera made me go back to 640. In vertical shooting mode, the touch points for all the icons, including the shutter button, is misaligned and is very annoying. What a shame as 540 looked AWESOME.
cj00ta said:
Exchange email is also broken... when you reply to an email, the screen font is set to eleventybillion.
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Sent with my Galaxy Note 4
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Click to collapse
Thanks! Just added to the top thread under impacted apps
Does this effectively change the resolution? I'm curious if lowering the DPI would give positive improvement to high-end game performance. Can anyone shed some light here?
Conkrete said:
Does this effectively change the resolution? I'm curious if lowering the DPI would give positive improvement to high-end game performance. Can anyone shed some light here?
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Click to collapse
It doesn't change the resolution. What it changes is the drawing size of on-screen content which is directly from the 'dpi setting' of the phone.
It's a little complicated to explain but this is how it works;
The phone's default screen density (DPI) setting 640, this is done because that's how many dots per inch of the physical screen there is (a phone of similar screen size would have a similar dpi). This value is stored in your phone's build.prop and is read by numerous applications, it might not match exactly the 'real' dpi of the screen but its normally very close to it.
By changing it lower in dpi you're instructing to applications you actually have a smaller screen size, thus to fit content (i.e words not being HUGE on a small screen) content is drawn to that dpi setting you're providing in build.prop.
Now to go into why we have certain issues when changing the dpi.
This is basically due to how the app did its layout sizing (do I base content on "actual size" of the screen-size or do I base it on "actual density" of the screen density in build.prop? Most apps, since they're targeting to be used with dozens of devices of all sorts of different sizes, will be designed where the layout of content is dependent upon dpi. A layout would be I want a rectangular box on the bottom that has height 10px and width 100%, so that effectively means the width is based on the proportion of the screen size (the OS controls this, its just a matter of scaling). This is why you once had 5 items to show now has 8 items to show in a listbox. The size of the listbox in this case would be based on actual density while the content (text etc.) inside would be based on actual size (scaling I would think is limited to a min/max actual size for text).
Samsung can get away with this on their stock apps because in their mind when they build their roms they are only going to be used on that specific device. They're starting to go away from this, however, and are starting to make their layouts more typical that of a normal application. You have somewhat less control of the layout going from actual size to actual density.
*keep in mind you can actually set parameters for both. Such as if I wanted something to be 10% in width but only up to 2.5 inches in actual size this effectively means that it will scale until it reaches 2.5" and then scale no longer.
I hope that makes sense. Resolution really doesn't have a role at all in this, you're always at the same resolution (4K) and this is handled by the lower-level kernel and GPU firmware. I don't think there's a way to change this at the app layer but than again I have really no background in android development.
*please if anything comes off as inaccurate please point out, I am from a XAML/.NET development background and linux/unix embedded systems and really I focused on back-end/databases/services and not really front-endy stuff. This is how it is handled in XAML though and I have seen android uses the same principals.
imnoob55 said:
It doesn't change the resolution. What it changes is the drawing size of on-screen content which is directly from the 'dpi setting' of the phone.
It's a little complicated to explain but this is how it works;
The phone's default screen density (DPI) setting 640, this is done because that's how many dots per inch of the physical screen there is (a phone of similar screen size would have a similar dpi). This value is stored in your phone's build.prop and is read by numerous applications, it might not match exactly the 'real' dpi of the screen but its normally very close to it.
By changing it lower in dpi you're instructing to applications you actually have a smaller screen size, thus to fit content (i.e words not being HUGE on a small screen) content is drawn to that dpi setting you're providing in build.prop.
Now to go into why we have certain issues when changing the dpi.
This is basically due to how the app did its layout sizing (do I base content on "actual size" of the screen-size or do I base it on "actual density" of the screen density in build.prop? Most apps, since they're targeting to be used with dozens of devices of all sorts of different sizes, will be designed where the layout of content is dependent upon dpi. A layout would be I want a rectangular box on the bottom that has height 10px and width 100%, so that effectively means the width is based on the proportion of the screen size (the OS controls this, its just a matter of scaling). This is why you once had 5 items to show now has 8 items to show in a listbox. The size of the listbox in this case would be based on actual density while the content (text etc.) inside would be based on actual size (scaling I would think is limited to a min/max actual size for text).
Samsung can get away with this on their stock apps because in their mind when they build their roms they are only going to be used on that specific device. They're starting to go away from this, however, and are starting to make their layouts more typical that of a normal application. You have somewhat less control of the layout going from actual size to actual density.
*keep in mind you can actually set parameters for both. Such as if I wanted something to be 10% in width but only up to 2.5 inches in actual size this effectively means that it will scale until it reaches 2.5" and then scale no longer.
I hope that makes sense. Resolution really doesn't have a role at all in this, you're always at the same resolution (4K) and this is handled by the lower-level kernel and GPU firmware. I don't think there's a way to change this at the app layer but than again I have really no background in android development.
*please if anything comes off as inaccurate please point out, I am from a XAML/.NET development background and linux/unix embedded systems and really I focused on back-end/databases/services and not really front-endy stuff. This is how it is handled in XAML though and I have seen android uses the same principals.
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Click to collapse
Extremely helpful and great info. Possibly the best response I've received from XDA. Thank you for the info. I have found a couple root apps that claim to change resolution but I've been hoping to find a non-root alternative.
One of the first things I have noticed with the Tab Pro 8.4 is a severe imbalance between the font sizes of Samsung UI elements and non-Samsung. For example in Play Store when I enter text in the search box it's crisp but quite small. Yet the text in the Settings menus is a very comfortable size compared to the Google font size. If I increase the font size system-wide then the Google font size becomes comfortable and the Samsung font size becomes cartoonishly big.
Has anyone else noticed this and/or come up with a reasonable solution?
Perhaps one culprit is the fact that the true DPI of this device is 359 and Samsung has programmed 320 into the build.prop. That means it's lying to the OS that the screen is 9.4" not 8.4". So apps are drawing text and graphics a bit too small, but Samsung decided to jack up their own font sizes to a comfortable range. If I were to edit the DPI to 320 that still wouldn't be likely to help as then Samsung would just remain cartoonishly big.
I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
cmstlist said:
One of the first things I have noticed with the Tab Pro 8.4 is a severe imbalance between the font sizes of Samsung UI elements and non-Samsung. For example in Play Store when I enter text in the search box it's crisp but quite small. Yet the text in the Settings menus is a very comfortable size compared to the Google font size. If I increase the font size system-wide then the Google font size becomes comfortable and the Samsung font size becomes cartoonishly big.
Has anyone else noticed this and/or come up with a reasonable solution?
Perhaps one culprit is the fact that the true DPI of this device is 359 and Samsung has programmed 320 into the build.prop. That means it's lying to the OS that the screen is 9.4" not 8.4". So apps are drawing text and graphics a bit too small, but Samsung decided to jack up their own font sizes to a comfortable range. If I were to edit the DPI to 320 that still wouldn't be likely to help as then Samsung would just remain cartoonishly big.
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Click to collapse
tpowell.ca said:
I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
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Click to collapse
Yep, I've used it before on other devices. I used the newly released FlashFire to take a backup of my system to external SD before installing Xposed. I currently have a dpi of 360 assigned to all of: Chrome, Dropbox, Gmail, gReader, Google Maps, Netflix, News & Weather, Nova Launcher, Plume, Root Explorer, Tapatalk, Titanium Backup, PressReader, and the App Settings app itself (as everything was a bit too small). That puts these apps in the same range of screen element size as on Nexus devices. Feel free to pick a bit higher for a bit bigger as we do tend to hold tablets further from our faces than phones.
In fact the Nexus 5 itself (which is my daily phone) has a build.prop that is too large for the real screen size, 480 instead of 445 (factor of 7.8%). But it does make the UI a bit more comfortable without sacrificing too much screen space. So theory if you want any apps on the Tab Pro to display their UI elements at least as large as they physically appear on a Nexus 5, you'd assign a DPI in the 380-385 range to those apps.
tpowell.ca said:
I agree 100% with this problem and have tried changing the DPI in the build.prop. Big mistake as it causes crashes everywhere in Sammy apps.
The only work-around I have found was to use the Xposed framework with the App Settings app. This way you can adjust each app individually.
Its not a perfect solution, but its the best I have found in the 5 days I've owned this tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Old thread but thanks! My GF has the 8.4" model and in the latest Facebook app the font is like 1/32" and she cannot read it
I read here and there the forum, rooted the tablet, installed xposed, installed AppSettings and changed the DPI, it worked! :good::good::good:
I am on rooted stock marshmallow with xposed installed.I have changed resolution to 1080p and 530dpi.I face a problem everytime i try to open lg fm radio and lg internet i see ''unfortunately ,app has stopped'' and i see the logo of android robot instead of the app icon.How can i restore the fm radio and lg internet browser?
soulfreem said:
I am on rooted stock marshmallow with xposed installed.I have changed resolution to 1080p and 530dpi.I face a problem everytime i try to open lg fm radio and lg internet i see ''unfortunately ,app has stopped'' and i see the logo of android robot instead of the app icon.How can i restore the fm radio and lg internet browser?
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that is simply caused by your dpi settings, android uses diff dpi folders for diff devices in terms of icons. there is hdpi xhdpi etc, each folder is used in a certain range of dpi, i can't remember but for simplicity i'll use fake examples.
say hdpi folder is 50-100 dpi.
and xhdpi folder is 101-150 dpi. (these folders are found in the apk for the app.)
i used to be a old school themer who themed directly with apk files so i know this topic =D
if lg programmed your phone as 125 dpi default, then they probably only built files and icons for the xhdpi folder. (layouts tell your phone how to draw the ui).
if you switch your dpi to anything lower than 101, then the app will instantly crash because its looking for files in the hdpi folder now instead of xhdpi and lg didn't make the app compatible for those settings because they are assuming you aren't going to change your dpi and they only built the app for that specific phone/dpi range to save money, time, etc. and for control.
essentially your apps are instantly crashing because you have changed the dpi out of the range that will look for the correct files in the apk. if you slowly move your dpi towards the default ( rebooting every time and trying the apps ) eventually you will find the lowest or highest possible setting that won't bump you into the wrong layout and icon folders (folders inside the app (apk)).
can i ask you what version of lg g3 you are running because i'm jealous your radio is working (when you have the correct dpi range set )
(some things you might notice, are that the only apps that stop working are the LG apps that came with the phone, playstore apps are programmed to run in a wider range of dpi settings so they can be installed across a wider range of phones)
This is one of the reason people run AOSP / Cyanogenmod or other popular roms because most of those can run on almost any dpi (within reason) cyanogenmod has dpi built into the settings menu now, but has a bunch of presets, you still have to use build.prop if you want to try things outside of those values but their range is really good i don't think you would want to.. The catch 22 is sometimes you lose your radio and ir blaster anyways on other roms. i think both are working on cm 12.1 but i'm not 100% about fm radio, i have seen lots of ppl get the ir blaster working but you need to flash a patch that changes a few settings (selinux permissive and something else i think) there is a flashable fix for it somewhere kicking around xda if you search for it i'm sure you can find it.
on cm13 the ir blaster is working but the lg quick remote app isn't so you have to use a playstore app until lg releases a version for marshmallow and someone ports it to aosp, also will probably have to turn selinux to 0 still as well