Honest Hz: FPS & Refresh Rate

Honest Hz is a straightforward fps and refresh rate tester for Android. We measure what your display actually delivers, not what the spec sheet claims. Read it as Hz or as fps, your choice.

Why "honest"?

Most refresh rate and fps apps lie by omission. They show one noisy number, hide the limitations, and bury you in ads. Honest Hz does the opposite:

✓ Multi-sample averaging, 200+ frames before we report anything
✓ Variance and jitter shown, so you know the reading is stable
✓ One screen, one number, no popups on every tap
✓ A permanent "How it works" page explaining the method
✓ Honest about what we cannot measure, with no fake fps claims

What you get:

• Live frame rate in Hz or fps (mean ± standard deviation). Same measurement, switch the label in Settings.
• Frame time in milliseconds, the number that tells you how smooth it really is (8.33 ms at 120 fps)
• Panel mode against delivered frames, so frame drops show up instead of hiding in an average
• Floating fps overlay you can leave running on top of any app or game
• Quick Settings tile to start and stop the overlay without opening the app
• Jitter percentage to catch stutter and uneven frame pacing
• A benchmark that tests every refresh mode your panel claims, one at a time
• Session history with an fps chart and frame distribution for every test
• Display report: declared rate, supported modes, VRR, HDR, resolution
• Dead-pixel test to spot stuck or dead pixels full screen
• Works on any Android device with API 26+ (Android 8.0+)
• No account, no signup, no data collection

Panel mode vs delivered

Your panel can sit in a 120 Hz mode while your phone only hands over 95 frames per second. Honest Hz shows both numbers separately and labels the gap, so a frame drop looks like a frame drop.

Who is this for?

• Gamers checking whether a game holds their panel's maximum frame rate
• Anyone chasing stutter, lag or fps drops who wants a number for it
• Reviewers fact-checking manufacturer refresh rate claims
• Buyers of used phones confirming the display runs at full rate
• Anyone tired of fps meters full of ads and invented numbers

How it works

We register a frame callback with Choreographer. Every time your display delivers a frame we record a high-precision timestamp. After 200+ samples we compute the real frame delivery rate. No estimation, no proprietary algorithms.

The benchmark goes further. It asks Android for each mode your panel claims, measures what actually arrives, and grades it Pass, Marginal, Failed, or OS refused. That last verdict separates "your panel cannot do 120" from "Android would not allow it right now".

What this app cannot do

Honesty cuts both ways. We do not pretend to measure:

✕ The frame rate inside another app's render loop. Reading a game's internal fps needs system profiling access Android does not give to normal apps. Any app claiming it without a special grant is estimating.
✕ Pixel response time or motion blur, which needs a high-speed camera
✕ Display color accuracy or HDR quality

FAQ

Q: Why is my 120Hz phone reading 60Hz?
A: Variable refresh rate is saving battery. Open a scrolling app first, then come back.

Q: Is this an fps counter for games?
A: It counts the frames your display actually delivers and runs as an overlay on top of a game. It does not read the game's internal render rate. On a variable refresh rate panel the two usually track each other closely, but they are not the same number and we will not print one as if it were the other.

Q: What is the difference between Hz and fps here?
A: Nothing. Android fires one callback per frame your display delivers. Count them per second and you have frames per second. Measure the gap between them and you have hertz. The unit setting changes the label, not the measurement.

Q: Does this app drain battery?
A: No. We measure when you tap Start and stop when you tap Stop.

Q: Can I remove ads?
A: Yes, with a one-time in-app purchase.

Recent changes:
Choose Hz or fps. The reading switches unit in Settings, and the overlay and notification follow it.

New frame time in milliseconds, and panel mode shown against the frames actually delivered so drops are visible instead of hidden in an average.

Benchmark now charts every refresh mode it tests: frame chart, distribution, on-target percentage, typical rate, roughest 1% and late frames.

New screen facts: size, true PPI, colour gamut, HDR peak nits and every refresh mode your panel reports.