Wednesday, September 3, 2014

How to change the software display density on Android

Android-Logo
Android devices come in various shapes and sizes with displays of varying resolution, unlike the iPhone and iPad. However, to save developers the headache of supporting so many different resolutions, Android has its own software density, which is somewhat independent from the resolution of the panel.
Software density is the reason why an Android device with a 5-inch display and another with a 5.5-inch 1080p panel will show the same amount of content, even though the latter has a slightly larger screen, which technically allows it to fit in more content.
Changing the density will make the content on the screen smaller and sharper, and will also allow apps to display more content at once.
Thankfully, it is pretty easy to change the software density on any Android device, provided you have root access. Here’s how:
Step 1: Download Textdroider DPI from the Play Store on your rooted Android device.
Step 2: Open the app and in the New DPI column enter the desired software density you want. One of the most popular density that most users of an Android device with a 1080p display prefer to use is 400. You can also enter a value that is closer to the pixel density of the display panel of your device.
DPI-change
The app will also show the current DPI of your device. Do make a note of it, in case you want to revert back to your original settings.
Step 3: Once you have entered your desired density, tap the Apply button followed by Reboot. Make sure to grant the app root access when the prompted, so that the app can make the necessary changes to your system files.
DPI_Android
Left: Stock DPI. Right: Changed the DPI to 420
Once your Android device has rebooted, you will automatically notice that the content on the screen is appearing smaller or bigger, depending on the DPI entered by you.
Do note that some apps might have some graphical issues or show up as incompatible on the Play Store, when using a custom software density. Make sure to play around with the software density value until you find something that matches your taste and eyes perfectly.

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