Hardware overlays allow the Android system to use the GPU for screen compositing, which generally improves performance. However, in certain debugging scenarios, graphic glitches, or when testing UI rendering performance, developers may want to force the system to use the CPU for screen compositing. This guide demonstrates how to completely disable hardware overlays system-wide on Android.
Prerequisites
You must have Developer Options enabled. To do this, go to Settings > About phone and tap the Build number seven times.
Disable Hardware Overlays
Open Developer Options
Navigate to Settings > System > Developer options.
Locate the Hardware Accelerated Rendering Section
Scroll down until you find the section titled Hardware accelerated rendering.
Toggle Disable HW Overlays
Find the option labeled Disable HW overlays (or “Always use GPU for screen compositing”). Toggle the switch to the On position.
Verify the Configuration
With this setting enabled, the Android system will bypass hardware overlays and force the GPU to handle all compositing tasks. Keep in mind that this setting may increase battery consumption and is typically reset upon device reboot, meaning you will need to re-enable it after restarting your phone.