Your Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen isn't set to the highest resolution right out of the box — here's how to fix it

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Picture this: You've just picked up your brand new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Galaxy S26 Plus, and specifically chose them over the regular Galaxy S26 because of the screen. Not only do both phones have larger screens than the regular S26, but they also feature higher QHD+ resolution. This means the screen is sharper and offers a more immersive picture than the S26's FHD+.

What you might not know is that a bunch of phones, including Samsung Galaxy devices, aren't locked to the highest resolution. In fact, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and S26 Plus arrive with resolution set to FHD+ out of the box. This is likely done to help maximize battery life, since lower resolution screens require less power to run.

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1. Open the Display settings

The first step is to head into the display settings on your Galaxy S26 Plus or Galaxy S26 Ultra phone. Open Settings > Display

2. Open the Screen resolution menu

Once in the display settings menu, scroll down until you see the Screen resolution option.

3. Select QHD+ Resolution

The resolution screen has three options: HD (720p equivalent), FHD+ (1080p equivalent) and QHD+ (1440p equivalent). You'll want to select QHD+ for maximum resolution, then Apply.

The other two options are available if you ever change your mind and want to give your battery life a boost.

4. (Optional) Check your Refresh Rate

The Galaxy S26 series benefits from an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate, which offers silky animations during use. The phone is set to adaptive out of the box, but it is worth double-checking anyway. Go back to the Display Settings and look for the Motion Smoothness option. Tap it and make sure your phone is set to Adaptive, rather than Standard, which locks everything at 60Hz.


Considering how much Galaxy S26 series phones cost, you're going to want to get the absolute best performance to make sure you get your money's worth — unless you're trying to save battery life. So make sure to head into the settings and get your phone's display set to the best possible resolution.


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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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