Are you tired of choppy scrolling in Safari, especially when you know your device is capable of buttery-smooth performance? Here’s the surprising truth: even though your iPhone, iPad, or Mac with a ProMotion display can handle 120Hz refresh rates, Safari defaults to a sluggish 60fps for page rendering. But here’s where it gets controversial—Apple has quietly tucked away a setting that unlocks the full potential of your screen, and most users have no idea it exists. Let’s dive into why this matters and how you can fix it.
At 60Hz, your screen updates every 16.7 milliseconds, meaning each frame of a scrolling page lingers for that brief moment. Bump it up to 120Hz, and that interval drops to just 8.3 milliseconds, doubling the refresh rate. The result? Less blur, less judder, and motion that feels incredibly fluid—almost like gliding across the screen. To truly appreciate the difference, check out Blur Buster’s Motion Tests webpage (https://testufo.com/) and compare the refresh rate test in Safari before and after making the change.
And this is the part most people miss: the improvement is most striking when scrolling through text-heavy pages or navigating detailed content. However, not everyone will notice the same level of difference. If you’ve never felt Safari lag behind other apps, this tweak might not blow you away. But if you’ve ever wondered why Chrome or Firefox feels snappier on the same device, this is the culprit.
Here’s the catch: enabling 120Hz rendering is buried in Safari’s Feature Flags, a developer-focused menu that’s surprisingly easy to access on iPhones and iPads—no special mode required. On a Mac, you’ll need to enable developer features first, but it’s simpler than you might think. Just keep in mind that this upgrade could nibble away at your battery life if you’re a heavy browser.
Ready to unlock smoother scrolling? Here’s how to do it on all your Apple devices.
Enable 120Hz Safari Browsing on iPhone and iPad
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Tap Safari.
4. Scroll to the bottom and tap Advanced.
5. Tap Feature Flags at the bottom of the list.
6. Scroll to Prefer Page Rendering Updates near 60fps and toggle it off.
7. Force quit Safari and reopen it.
With this setting disabled, Safari will now render pages at up to 120Hz on ProMotion-equipped devices, including iPhone 13 Pro and later, and iPad Pro models with ProMotion.
Enable 120Hz Safari Browsing on Mac
Enabling 120Hz on a Mac requires a few extra steps to reveal the Feature Flags menu.
1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, and choose Settings.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. At the bottom, check the box next to Show features for web developers.
4. A new Feature Flags tab will appear in the toolbar—click it.
5. In the search field at the top right, type 60fps.
6. Uncheck Prefer Page Rendering Updates near 60fps.
7. Quit Safari completely and reopen it.
This works on any Mac with a ProMotion display, including the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2021 and later. Even external displays capable of 120Hz refresh rates should benefit from this change.
Controversial Question: Is Apple intentionally limiting Safari’s performance to conserve battery life, or is this simply an oversight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And a big shoutout to MacStories (https://www.macstories.net/linked/how-to-enable-smoother-120hz-scrolling-in-safari/) and developer Matt Birchler (https://birchtree.me/blog/how-to-enable-120hz-mode-in-safari-mac-iphone-and-ipad/) for uncovering this hidden gem.
