How to enable the 90Hz display on the Pixel 7a

Looking at the home screen of the Google Pixel 7a that's in a green Otterbox Commuter case
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Everyone loves a cool new feature but, sometimes, features aren't enabled out of the box.

Take the Google Pixel 7a, for example. It solved many of the problems we had with 2022's Pixel 6a, giving it the honor of becoming the best cheap Android phone so far in 2023. But that smooth new 90Hz OLED Display ships at just 60Hz, meaning it might not feel faster or smoother than the Pixel 6a the first time you turn it on.

Thankfully, it's just one quick setting to enable the smooth display, as Google calls it.

How to enable the 90Hz display on the Pixel 7a

For note, ramping up the display from 60Hz to 90Hz will affect battery life but, in our testing, the difference isn't particularly noticeable.

That's because Google is smart enough to keep the display running at 90Hz only when it needs to, helping to save battery life when things aren't moving on the screen by switching between 60hz and 90hz in real time without being noticeable.

Here's how to do that.

Turning on Smooth Display (90Hz) on a Google Pixel 7a

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

1.) Open settings by tapping the Settings icon in your app drawer. Alternatively, you can pull down the status bar all the way and tapping the settings cog at the bottom.

2.) Tap Display in the settings menu.

3.) Scroll all the way down and tap the slider next to smooth display to enable it.

And that's it. Enjoy your new buttery-smooth Pixel 7a experience, and don't forget to grab a great Pixel 7a case to keep that shiny Pixel 7a looking like new.

Nicholas Sutrich
Senior Content Producer — Smartphones & VR
Nick started with DOS and NES and uses those fond memories of floppy disks and cartridges to fuel his opinions on modern tech. Whether it's VR, smart home gadgets, or something else that beeps and boops, he's been writing about it since 2011. Reach him on Twitter or Instagram @Gwanatu