Android 13 Will Get A New Resolution Switching Feature

Google released the first Android 13 Beta Preview a couple of days back. The beta version showcases a ton of additional features and UI modifications to heighten the user experience. Among the numerous small additions is a new resolution switching feature, just like you find one on your computer.

What is the Android 13 resolution switching feature?

Mishaal Rehman at Esper spotted this feature while digging deep into the Android 13 beta preview on his Pixel device. The resolution switching setting is buried deep inside the Settings app on Android 13; it’s listed as the Screen Resolution option under the display settings.

Moreover, the feature is in the testing phase and won’t be available on Android devices in the coming months. Android 13 devices will be able to change display resolution with a single toggle. The blog post by Rehman showcases that there are two options to choose from, namely 1440p and 1080p.

There is also a warning that all open apps would close if you switch the resolution on the phone. The Android 13 resolution switching feature is in addition to the existing refresh rate changing feature. So, users will be able to cycle between two resolution types depending upon their use case.

Is it useful?

Android devices with high-resolution displays need to dedicate a lot of system resources while running apps and games. By using resolution switching, users can easily squeeze maximum performance and smoother frame rates. This will be possible without any additional tweaking and will be less taxing on the device hardware.

Resolution switching is available in the display settings for now but could move to another location. The feature isn’t finalized as of now and you may see it alongside the change refresh rate option. One major thing to note is that this feature isn’t new to the Android ecosystem. Samsung introduced resolution switching in One UI a while back.

As far as the availability of the Android 13 beta version is concerned, it is limited to Google Pixel devices. If you own a Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4 XL, or Pixel 4, you can download and try out the Android 13 beta version.