MotionShine01 / Setting
Check the display setting
On a Mac: System Settings, Displays, Refresh rate. On Windows: Settings, System, Display, Advanced display, Choose a refresh rate.
Free tool
Refresh rate test, your screen's Hz.
This page measures how often your browser draws a new frame, which follows the screen's refresh rate: 60 Hz on most screens, 120 Hz on ProMotion Macs and phones, 144 Hz and up on gaming monitors. The graph shows every frame, long ones are counted as dropped, and the moving bar lets you see the smoothness for yourself.
...Hz
Measuring
Keep this tab in front and the mouse still for a few seconds for a steady reading.
This visit
Frames drawn0
Dropped frames0
Highest rate seen...
A dropped frame took at least one and a half times longer than usual, shown as a red dot on the graph. A few while you scroll or switch apps are normal.
Measured in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Reading the result
Lower than you expected?
02 / Browser
Some browsers cap pages
Some browsers, such as Safari, can hold web pages to 60 frames a second even on a faster screen. Try another browser to compare.
03 / Power
Battery saving
Low power mode on laptops and phones often lowers the rate to save battery. Plug in and try again.
Questions
Good to know.
How accurate is a browser refresh rate test?
Browsers draw one frame for each screen refresh, so on a steady page the frame rate matches the screen. The page takes the middle value of the last two seconds of frames, which ignores single slow frames. If your screen changes its rate on the fly, as ProMotion and adaptive sync screens do, the number can move between readings.
Why does my 144 Hz monitor show 60?
The monitor may be set to 60 Hz, the cable or port may not carry more (some HDMI versions stop at 60 Hz at high resolutions), or the browser window may be on another screen. Check the display settings first, then the cable.
What frame rate should I record at?
For tutorials and screen recordings, 30 or 60 frames a second is usual. 60 makes scrolling and cursor movement look smoother; more than your screen's rate adds file size without anything new to show.
Why does the bar look jumpy?
At a low rate each step of the bar is larger, so its motion looks less smooth. Dropped frames show as small jumps. On a fast screen the bar glides.
Does it work on phones?
Yes. Phones with 90 or 120 Hz screens show their rate here unless battery saving has lowered it.