Why it matters
Why screen resolution matters
Screen resolution determines how much a display can show at once and how sharp it looks — it's the first thing web designers, app developers, and IT support ask for when something renders wrong. Your browser window resolution matters just as much for the web: it's what a site actually sees, and it's often smaller than your full screen if the window isn't maximized. Aspect ratio, the proportion between width and height, decides whether images and video fit naturally or end up cropped or letterboxed.
Step by step
How to check your monitor's resolution
The panel above already shows it — but if you want to check it manually inside your operating system, here's how.
On Windows
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop and choose Display settings.
- Under Scale & layout, find Display resolution.
- The recommended value, marked "(Recommended)", matches your monitor's native resolution.
Windows 7/8 users: right-click desktop → Screen resolution.
On Mac
- Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings.
- Select Displays in the sidebar.
- Your current resolution is listed under the display preview, next to the scaling options.
Hold Option while clicking Displays for extra detail options.
Step by step
How to check your phone's screen resolution
Most phone settings menus show the model name but not the pixel count. The fastest way to get the exact number is to open this page in your phone's browser — it reads the resolution automatically, the same way it does on desktop.
iPhone
- Go to Settings → General → About to find your exact model.
- Apple doesn't list resolution in pixels here — look up the model, or simply open this page on the phone.
Android
- Go to Settings → Display (or About phone → Display, varies by brand).
- Some manufacturers list "Screen resolution" directly; others only show a scaling option.
- For the exact pixel count on any device, open this page in the phone's browser.
Reference
Common screen resolutions
How your numbers above compare to widely used display standards.
| Name | Resolution | Aspect ratio |
| HD | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
| Full HD (1080p) | 1920 × 1080 | 16:9 |
| QHD (1440p) | 2560 × 1440 | 16:9 |
| 4K UHD | 3840 × 2160 | 16:9 |
| Ultrawide QHD | 3440 × 1440 | 21:9 |
| MacBook Retina | 2560 × 1600 | 16:10 |
| Typical flagship phone | 1179 × 2556 | ~19.5:9 |
| Typical Android (FHD+) | 1080 × 2400 | 20:9 |