Phone Screen Says 120Hz But The Refresh Rate Test Only Shows 60

Your 120Hz is almost certainly real; what you are seeing is how the phone decides where to use it. Most high refresh Android phones use adaptive refresh. The phone raises or lowers the rate depending on what is on screen and which app is in front. Settings menus, the home screen and scrolling get 120Hz, because that is where you notice smoothness. Some phones give certain apps, video and sometimes browser content a lower rate to save battery.

A browser refresh rate test measures how often the browser is allowed to draw. If the phone caps the browser at 60, the test reads 60 even though the panel can do 120. The test is accurate about what the browser gets, but that is not the same as what the panel can do.

A few checks confirm it. Some phones list per-app refresh settings, or a force peak refresh rate option in Developer options. Another browser may be treated differently, so try one. And while you touch and scroll during the test, some phones raise the rate briefly, so the reading can jump.

Also look at power settings beyond battery saver. Many phones have separate power modes or game modes that limit refresh rate on their own. iPhones with ProMotion do something similar: Low Power Mode caps them at 60Hz.