Develop Bugs

[How-To/Guide] Change your LCD Density Setting For More Screen Real Estate

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

[Q] App to scale other apps?

Back in time when I was using Galaxy Tab 7.7, I flashed it with some custom CyanogenMod ROM. That ROM had a tool embedded that allowed to "change" TTX of the device per app, thus allowing to scale apps tha do not look good with native TTX. Is there anything similar available standalone?

I don't know what TTX stands for, but there's a module called "App Settings" for the Xposed framework. If you're rooted, you can install Xposed and then App Settings and make changes per-app to DPI and font sizes.
I'm finding that the new screen technology seems to make some apps (the AOSP browser in particular) a bit odd at times when I do custom scaling per-app.
I've taken to changing the lcd density in build.prop instead, then dialing in apps other than the browser to what I want them to be - which for my eyes isn't that many, I prefer to run the device at a somewhat lower res for most things

Changing DPI to 540

If you like a tighter crisp viewing experience, I can confirm that adjusting DPI down to 540 is stable.
I use Texdroider DPI, works with 5.1 :good:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.texdroider.texdroider_dpi
WARNING: Be careful, setting too low can bootloop your phone
It's your phone, your responsibility.

Could you maybe upload some screenshots to see how it looks. Im a little worried about getting a bootloop
Sent from my VS986 using XDA Free mobile app

Screenshots
I am experiencing no side effect or lag with DPI change.
On a side note-
There are several Nandroid backup options available, I use online Nandroid Backup w Nandroid Manager

Does this require root>?

wrichards2009 said:
Does this require root>?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.

By stable, do you mean LG camera works too!? I tried 520 over the weekend and it kept FC, didn't think there was a sweet spot!

@540 camera works great. I haven't taken it down to 520.
Good feedback thanks

Ok, so I did this like I have on any other device by adjusting the build.prop with root explorer and I entered 540. And now I am in a boot loop.. any suggestions?
2 hours later.. had to flash stock firmware.

This is mine at 580. 540 starts to make things a little too small for these old eyes.

JacRyan said:
Screenshots
I am experiencing no side effect or lag with DPI change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even shortcuts on the lockscreen?

fr4nk1yn said:
Even shortcuts on the lockscreen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont use shortcuts on my lockscreen.
Enabled 5 to test. All sized and working correctly.
Unable to screenshot lockscreen but no issues

JacRyan said:
I dont use shortcuts on my lockscreen.
Enabled 5 to test. All sized and working correctly.
Unable to screenshot lockscreen but no issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. The adb method causes weirdness like blank shorcuts. I may have to break down and root.

540 working great thanks

The only issue I have with 540 is you can no longer switch between saving to the MicroSD card vs internal in the LG camera app.

For the record
If you want to change to 540dpi I would without a doubt use Kernel auditor or Es File Manager. If you edit your build prop with Root Explorer you will boot loop! Root Explorer opens the G3/G4 build prop in a TRuncated mode because the file is too large and when you save that file it will only save the available truncated portion, BE CAREFUL AND PAY ATTENTION. Setting to 540 dpi will not effect anything on your device, all other posts and problems are due to other issues. Please read and save yourself the KDZ flash time, friends.
Thank you

It doesn't require root.
Enable developer mode, and usb debugging.
Use Minimal adb and fastboot
open the folder
shift right click open command prompt from there
type adb shell wm density 540
This works on any device without root

I did 540 dpi today and I have to say I really like it. Everything is a bit smaller now, it has more like a tablet feel rather than a phone. But you get quite a bit more content on the screen, and for myself it's the perfect balance between readability and usability.

endleesss said:
It doesn't require root.
Enable developer mode, and usb debugging.
Use Minimal adb and fastboot
open the folder
shift right click open command prompt from there
type adb shell wm density 540
This works on any device without root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup this is how I do it. Lowering the DPI was one of the main reasons why I wanted root. Now I don't even care about root. I love the LG software and tweaks so there is not much I would change. I do like some XPOSED Status bar tweaks to do center clock and hide some of the million icons (alarm, nfc, location, vpn, 4G/3G, Cellular strength, WiFi etc.). LG goes overboard with icons man. I just want a 4G/3G+Signal & Battery OR WiFi & Battery. 2 icons max. Plus a clock of course... an option for a Center clock would be awesome.

There is a big difference changing dpi with adb shell wm density vs texdroider_dpi app. For me at least, when i change dpi with adb shell, some apps don't work right, like:
ebay: the menu that shows your profile pic and links to home watching, etc is screwed up
amazon: product pics, when you enlarge, you can't zoom in & out, can only see the top left corner
tinycam: on a single camera view, the video feed is zoome in about 10x
with textdroider, all of those apps work properly. Did anyone else experience this?
I have done 530 with adb command, but not with texdroider, is it safe to change to 530 with texdroider?

They should both be the same output. Although not all density settings are equal. Some settings cause weird issues like what you posted. I think I use 540 and don't experience anything weird.

Voice Recorder and DPI

Voice recorder breaks when the global DPI is changed.
My solution with other LG apps is to use Xposed App Settings and force the DPI to 540 or 640. That seems to work just fine with everything, like the notoriously fickle camera app, but it just will not work with the Voice Recorder. I set it to 640 in App Settings and it will not function at all, yet I change global DPI back to stock 640 and it functions just fine.
Any idea on how to get around it? Or convince app settings to force it harder? Is there a different app dependant that also needs to be set to 640?
Cheers

It breacks also Quick Remote. It open but don´t work...

up, any idea how to fix this ? i didnt want to create a new topic so i searched and found this

hi use genisys rom lollipop 2.1 or marshmallow 2.8 or this patch fixed sound recorder dpi 5xx problem

Camera Doesn't Work (Related to DPI Changing)

So i am running into a very strange issue that i haven't been able to find much information on. I am running the latest OOS (3.1.2) rooted, i had changed the DPI a few days ago using build prop editor and everything seemed to be working just fine, except my camera, it suddenly would freeze when a picture is taken, crash, and not produce a picture, and sometimes the picture would be just green.
Here is what iv'e tried:
removed the line from build prop editor and rebooted to get to stock DPI
changed the DPI to stock with the toolkit, then back to a different DPI, then back to stock.
removed the camera app cache
factory reset the phone
Strangely enough the camera in HDR mode appears to work just fine, but it doesn't appear to work in any other mode (including video).

Using the camera with flash always turned on in pretty much any mode seems to also work.

Atlantisman said:
So i am running into a very strange issue that i haven't been able to find much information on. I am running the latest OOS (3.1.2) rooted, i had changed the DPI a few days ago using build prop editor and everything seemed to be working just fine, except my camera, it suddenly would freeze when a picture is taken, crash, and not produce a picture, and sometimes the picture would be just green.
Here is what iv'e tried:
removed the line from build prop editor and rebooted to get to stock DPI
changed the DPI to stock with the toolkit, then back to a different DPI, then back to stock.
removed the camera app cache
factory reset the phone
Strangely enough the camera in HDR mode appears to work just fine, but it doesn't appear to work in any other mode (including video).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I posted about this issue a few days ago http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/help/weird-camera-bug-t3404660

mr.shme said:
I posted about this issue a few days ago http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/help/weird-camera-bug-t3404660
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't notice that.
I flashed back to bone stock OOS 3.1.2 and everything seems to be working now... I will attempted to change the DPI again via the toolkit.

I changed DPI with Le DPI Changer (non build.prop method) and everything is working fine. You might want to check it out.

That's why I always say that global DPI change is not a good idea, period.
Much better and additionally more flexible is using the Xposed module "App Settings" where you can run every app at an individual DPI setting and tweak some more things (e. g. having an app run with its tablet UI).

I had the same issue on OOS 3.1.3 rooted and DPI changed.
I enabled RAW mode and it fixed the issue.

crumble6 said:
I changed DPI with Le DPI Changer (non build.prop method) and everything is working fine. You might want to check it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What DPI value did you set it to? No issues with camera, icons, widgets, etc?

jiznon said:
What DPI value did you set it to? No issues with camera, icons, widgets, etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
400. No issues at all except that when I use "large text" captions in snapchat they display fine on my screen but the text is much smaller and out of position on my friends' phones. Literally not a single other problem with any app I've tried though. I've heard 380 works good too. Tempted to try it but tbh I'm happy at 400 for now.

crumble6 said:
I changed DPI with Le DPI Changer (non build.prop method) and everything is working fine. You might want to check it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crumble6 said:
400. No issues at all except that when I use "large text" captions in snapchat they display fine on my screen but the text is much smaller and out of position on my friends' phones. Literally not a single other problem with any app I've tried though. I've heard 380 works good too. Tempted to try it but tbh I'm happy at 400 for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. So far my experience has been frustrating.
1) Changed DPI to 400 via build.prop edit. Resulted in camera issues. Could not reset DPI or change to any other value. Had to reflash OOS 3.1.3 to fix.
2) Did some research. Heard a OP3 toolkit here on xda could change DPI without issue (I believe it just uses the adb method) . Used it to change to 400. Camera is fine, but I experience wonky sizing issues with widgets, icons on notification banners, twitter photo previews, and a few other little text size issues. Tried using the toolkit to return to default DPI but it simply doesn't change anything.
3) Per your account of this app, I tried it but it us unable to make any change. Looks like I may have to reflash AGAIN, and attempt the Le DPI Changer again.
Bah.

jiznon said:
Thanks for the quick reply. So far my experience has been frustrating.
1) Changed DPI to 400 via build.prop edit. Resulted in camera issues. Could not reset DPI or change to any other value. Had to reflash OOS 3.1.3 to fix.
2) Did some research. Heard a OP3 toolkit here on xda could change DPI without issue (I believe it just uses the adb method) . Used it to change to 400. Camera is fine, but I experience wonky sizong issues with widgets, icons on notification banners, and a few other little text size issues. Tried using the toolkit to return to default DPI but it simply doesn't change anything.
3) Per your account of this app, I tried it but it us unable to make any change. Looks like I may have to reflash AGAIN, and attempt the Le DPI Changer again.
Bah.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I should have mentioned. I am using Nova launcher and have changed the grid size of the desktop to 11 x 7. Things will probably behave weird if you are using the oneplus launcher.

crumble6 said:
Sorry, I should have mentioned. I am using Nova launcher and have changed the grid size of the desktop to 11 x 7. Things will probably behave weird if you are using the oneplus launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries. I am also using Nova Launcher with custom grid size. Only issues on my desktop is wonky icon size with Chronus widget.

jiznon said:
No worries. I am also using Nova Launcher with custom grid size. Only issues on my desktop is wonky icon size with Chronus widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find enabling widget overlap in Nova and then playing around with resizing widgets I can usually get them looking right in the end.

I had already posted this here but it seemed like Nobody besides me had this problem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/help/camera-issues-root-t3409764
I'm glad this issue is getting attention!

running 340 dpi, works fine for me. did it with le dpi changer

Running 290 all good using le dpi changer ?
Sent from my ONEPLUS3

I'm starting to wonder there is a magic DPI number that doesn't break the camera!! Time to test!

I found this solution on the oneplus 3 reddit. Camera works perfectly and there are no weird icons!
https://www.reddit.com/r/oneplus/comments/4satgq/changing_op3_dpi_using_buildprop_without_breaking/
Basically use qemu.sf.lcd_density=xxx instead of ro.sf.lcd_density=xxx in your build.prop!
I'm using 420 and all is awesome now!!
Huge thanks to this guy for posting the solution!!

ro.sf.lcd_density=400 in build.prop works just fine on my device running stock OOS 3.2.1.
Only manual mode is slightly misaligned inside the camera app.
Trying qemu.sf.lcd_density=400 gives me the same result btw.
I never had issues with green photos in HQ or other weird behaviour.
Running dpi 400 via manual build.prop edit since day one
and only had to repeat this after each ota.