# Just changed my DPI. I couldn't be happier!



## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

I just changed my DPI in the build.prop from 480 to 445. Everything looks perfect now!

The true DPI of this display is 445 (I'm meant PPI as Poontab pointed out). Google had stated in one of their devbytes videos (or Andoid Developers videos, I forget now) that they wanted things to be larger, so they set the DPI to 480. I did not like it at all! Everything (especially the icons) seemed WAY too large to me. Even worse, I just went from the N4 with a 4.7" screen, to the N5 with a 4.95" screen and it didn't appear that I gained any screen real-estate. That annoyed me.

I can't believe how happy I am with this new DPI. Everything looks perfect and there hasn't been any related bugs so far.

(Edit: There is one bug where the notifications for text/hangouts and email won't show a preview of the text. You have to pull down on the bottom of the notification for the preview text to show)

Instructions for those that want them. Must be rooted.

Use a file explorer to go to system/build.prop

Open build.prop in a text editor

Change ro.sf.lcd_density=480 to 445 (or whatever else you would like to try. I hear 300 causes booting problems)

Reboot

Profit


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## motcher41 (Dec 19, 2011)

What issues were you having. Mine is flawless at 480 so far
Edit: saw the icon thing...not a bug though
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Boblank (Jun 7, 2011)

I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

Boblank said:


> I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


That's a lot more involved. I haven't done it for awhile, but it used to involve baksmali, decompiling/recompiling some systemframework.apk files and editing the files on your computer. The process most likely changed for KitKat as well and it may not be possible quite yet (without building your own ROM). I would wait for a custom ROM if I were you.


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

motcher41 said:


> What issues were you having. Mine is flawless at 480 so far Edit: saw the icon thing...not a bug though Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Ya. No bugs. Just didn't like it. This is the first time ever that I felt like a DPI change is needed and I've used at least 15 different Android phones.


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## JASKRU (Jun 8, 2011)

I used Rom Toolbox Pro to change mine to 360 and increased my text to "Huge" for readability. I like having more rows and columns. Unfortunately, when you select home from in app the keyboard pops up. Kind of annoying.


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## b16 (Jun 6, 2011)

Any screenshots? I'd like to see.


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## shiznu (Jun 14, 2012)

b16 said:


> Any screenshots? I'd like to see.










Here is mine at 445, looks better to me also. Thanks for the tip OP.
Edit should have done that with the stock icons and launcher. The change would have been more significant I'm sure.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

So far the only problem I have noticed, is the text/hangouts & email notifications won't display the preview text. You have to pull down on the notification to show the preview text.

















Sent from my Nexus 5


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## Boblank (Jun 7, 2011)

b16 said:


> Any screenshots? I'd like to see.


here is a screen at 440.


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

JASKRU said:


> Unfortunately, when you select home from in app the keyboard pops up. Kind of annoying.


That's interesting. I was wondering why my Nexus 7 2013 did that when I installed this launcher on it. It was VERY annoying.


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## poontab (Jun 7, 2011)

brkshr said:


> I just changed my DPI in the build.prop from 480 to 445. Everything looks perfect now!
> 
> The true DPI of this display is 445.


You're confusing ppi and dpi.


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

poontab said:


> You're confusing ppi and dpi.


You're right, but usually they go hand in hand. This is the first Nexus (I believe) where the DPI has strayed so far away from the the PPI.

Edit: Just for comparisons sake

N1 - PPI 252 - DPI 240 = 12

NS - PPI 235 - DPI 240 = 5

GN - PPI 316 - DPI 320 = 4

N4 - PPI 320 - DPI 320 = 0

N7(12) - PPI 213 - DPI 216 = 3

N10 - PPI 299 - DPI 320 = 21 (guess this one strayed a little more too)

N7(13) - PPI 323 - DPI 320 = 3

N5 - PPI 445 - DPI 480 = 35

I wish Google would come up with some other standard DPI's. 320 to 480 is way to big of a jump. There needs to be something in between.


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## wideopn11 (Aug 1, 2011)

Either way I'm loving the 445 on my Nexus 5 MUCH better than the stock 480.


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## phaz (Sep 18, 2011)

Boblank said:


> I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Cataclysm rom. But it's not on this site. The most options for the n5 right now.


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## vtwinbmx (Mar 1, 2012)

Boblank said:


> I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


I could make them for you., What size you want??


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## peeyourownpants (Apr 2, 2012)

360 is pretty close to the size of 240 setting on the nexus 4. I haven't run into any issues yet.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## networkz (Sep 19, 2011)

I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk



Just decompile framework-res.apk. i think its in dimens.XML. Should be called nav bar height or similar.

Sent from my Nexus 5


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

RedOne said:


> Hello I lose my default build.prop on my nexus 5 Can anyone upload build.prop Thanks Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Here you go. Stock build.prop file for Android 4.2.2.

Edit: Didn't upload. Here's a link to it https://www.dropbox.com/s/vfvv5t9wog5b7ex/build.prop


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## atishey23 (Aug 29, 2013)

If I do 440 will some of the play store apps will become incompatible?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## vanhoud (Jan 7, 2012)

380 here

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## charliehill (Mar 18, 2014)

Look great ! have you got standard procedure setting? I need help to set


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

charliehill said:


> Look great ! have you got standard procedure setting? I need help to set


What do you mean by "standard procedure setting"? I've never heard of that.


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## endlessben (Jun 7, 2011)

I changed my density for a while but lately I've been doing nightly (or semi-nightly) ROM updates. Is there a way to make build.prop changes persist through a ROM upgrade?


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## tonuch4963 (Apr 5, 2014)

Boblank said:


> I love it at 440. Much better than 480 IMO. Now searching for lowering nav bar height. Any suggestions?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Try GravityBox... worked for me.


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## bfederspill (Jun 27, 2011)

420 is my magic number.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## alleykat (Jun 15, 2011)

bfederspill said:


> 420 is my magic number.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


Are we still talking about DPI? LOL

Sent from my Nexus 5 using RootzWiki mobile app


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## ricky310711 (Mar 21, 2013)

Does the nexus 5 contain any distortion to apps/icons while other dpi's?


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