Method 1: adb (exact, no app needed)
With USB debugging authorised, this one command prints the density Android is currently using, including any override:
adb shell wm density
The output looks like Physical density: 480, plus an override line if one is set. If you only see an override, that override is the value in use. To clear it later, run adb shell wm density reset while the cable is still connected. The full change-and-recover flow is in the DPI changer guide.
Method 2: smallest width in developer options
Enable developer options, then look for the "Smallest width" value: it is the screen width in dp. Combine it with the physical width in px to recover the reported dpi:
dpi = physical width in px / smallest width in dp x 160. A phone that is 1080 px wide and reports a smallest width of 360 dp is running at 1080 / 360 x 160 = 480 dpi. If you change the smallest width, you change this number — so read it before you edit it, and note the original value.
Method 3: DPI calculator (ppi, and why it differs)
The DPI calculator takes a resolution and a screen diagonal and returns the physical ppi. That is a property of the panel, and it is often close to — but not equal to — the reported dpi, because manufacturers pick a reported density from the standard buckets for readability. Use the calculator to sanity-check a panel, and use adb or smallest width for the number Android actually scales with. The distinction is explained in Android DPI explained.
Method 4: device lookup (no cable, no adb)
If you just need the factory value for a known model, the device lookup lists the native density and dp viewport per phone. That is the shipped value, not a live reading: if anyone has run a density override on that phone, only adb (method 1) shows the value in use.
Check the number before you use it
Take the reported dpi into the dp to px converter: 48 dp at 480 dpi must come out as 144 px (48 x 480 / 160). If it does not, one of the two numbers is wrong — re-read the density before designing around it. The worked examples are in the dp to px conversion guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two apps report different dpi?
One may read the factory value and the other the live override. Trust adb shell wm density for the value in use.
Is the reported dpi the same as screen resolution?
No. Resolution is a pixel count; dpi is a density. Two phones can share a 1080 px width and report different densities, and therefore different dp viewports.
Related tools
- DPI calculator — ppi from resolution and diagonal
- dp ↔ px converter — what a dp size becomes at your density
- Density bucket converter — which drawable folder a density uses
- Device lookup — factory density per phone model