What Is My Screen Resolution?

Check your screen resolution, viewport size, and pixel ratio

Detecting screen resolution...

What Is Screen Resolution?

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels your display can show, expressed as width × height. A 1920×1080 (Full HD) screen has 1,920 pixels across and 1,080 pixels down, for a total of about 2 million pixels. Higher resolution means more pixels packed into the same screen size, resulting in sharper text, crisper images, and more workspace.

Common resolutions include 1920×1080 (Full HD, the most popular desktop resolution), 2560×1440 (QHD/2K, popular for 27" monitors), 3840×2160 (4K UHD, increasingly common on larger displays), and 5120×2880 (5K, used on Apple Studio Display and iMac).

Device Pixel Ratio (DPR) Explained

Device pixel ratio is the relationship between physical pixels and CSS pixels. A DPR of 1 means each CSS pixel maps to exactly one physical pixel. A DPR of 2 (common on "Retina" displays) means each CSS pixel is rendered using a 2×2 grid of physical pixels — four times the detail. Apple's MacBook Pro has a DPR of 2, while some flagship phones have DPR values of 3 or even 4.

DPR matters for web developers because images need to be served at the appropriate resolution. A 200px-wide image looks crisp on a DPR-1 screen but blurry on a DPR-2 screen — you need a 400px-wide source image to look sharp. This is why responsive images and srcset attributes are important for modern web design. Check your monitor PPI to see your display's pixel density.

How to Change Your Screen Resolution

Windows: Right-click the desktop → Display settings → Display resolution. Choose from the available resolutions — your monitor's native resolution (marked "Recommended") will give the sharpest image. macOS: System Settings → Displays → choose a resolution option. The "Default" option is optimized for your display's DPR. Linux: Settings → Displays, or use xrandr from the terminal.

Always use your monitor's native resolution for the best image quality. Running at a non-native resolution causes scaling artifacts that make text and images look fuzzy. If the native resolution makes things too small, use display scaling (125%, 150%, 200%) instead of lowering the resolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is screen resolution?
Screen resolution is the number of pixels displayed on your screen, expressed as width × height (e.g., 1920×1080). Higher resolution means more pixels and sharper images.
What's the difference between screen resolution and viewport size?
Screen resolution is the physical pixel count of your display. Viewport size is the area of the browser window where web content is rendered — it changes when you resize the browser, but your screen resolution stays the same.
What is device pixel ratio (DPR)?
Device pixel ratio is the ratio of physical pixels to CSS pixels. A DPR of 2 means every CSS pixel is rendered as 2×2 physical pixels, which is what Apple calls a Retina display. Higher DPR means sharper text and images.
What is the most common screen resolution?
As of 2024, 1920×1080 (Full HD) is the most common desktop resolution worldwide. On mobile, sizes like 390×844 (iPhone 14) and similar tall aspect ratios dominate.
Why does my viewport size change when I resize the browser?
The viewport is the visible area of the browser window. Resizing the window changes the viewport dimensions, but your screen resolution — the physical pixel count of your monitor — remains constant.

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