Dive into the world of Android customisation and control by enabling developer mode. We will walk you through the process of enabling developer settings on your Android-powered device, exploring some of the most useful options and explaining how to disable them when you’re done.
What is developer mode on Android?
Developer mode on Android is a hidden set of advanced settings mainly used by developers. These settings allow developers to test and debug their applications directly on an Android-powered device. Android developer settings can also be useful if you’d like to access additional customisation options and information about your device.
Here are some ways developer mode can be useful:
- Customising animations: You can adjust the animation scales to make your device feel faster and more responsive
- Monitoring system performance: Gain access to tools that allow you to monitor CPU usage and other performance metrics
- Enabling USB debugging: This is useful for connecting your device to a computer and using advanced tools like Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
Note: Enabling developer settings carries some potential risks if not used carefully. Unintended changes to certain settings can affect device stability, so we recommend only changing the settings you understand.
How to enable Android developer settings.
Enabling developer options is a straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Settings app on your Android-powered device.
- Tap About Phone or About Tablet.
- Find the Build Number. On some devices, you may need to tap Android Version or Software Information to find the Build Number.
- Tap the Build Number seven times in quick succession. You’ll see an on-screen countdown indicating how many more taps are needed.
- Once you’ve tapped it enough times, you’ll see a confirmation message.
Accessing the Developer Options menu:
- After enabling developer mode, a new Developer Options menu will appear in your device’s settings
- It’s usually located in the main settings menu or under System
Useful developer options: a deep dive.
Once you’ve enabled Android developer mode, you’ll be able to explore new settings and options that help you debug apps and customise your device. Here are some of the most useful ones:
USB debugging
USB debugging allows your device to communicate with a computer via USB.
- This is usually used for app development and debugging, allowing developers to install apps, run commands and access system logs from a computer
- Advanced users can use USB debugging with tools like Android Debug Bridge to perform system tweaks and modifications
OEM unlocking
Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) unlocking allows you to unlock the bootloader of your device, which is necessary for installing custom Android operating systems, known as flashing custom ROMs, or making other low-level system modifications.
Important: Unlocking the bootloader can void your warranty, potentially make your device unusable and poses security implications. It’s important to only enable this if you fully understand the risks involved.
Animation scale settings
These settings allow you to control the speed of animations on your device. Reducing these scales can make your device feel faster and more responsive. You can adjust:
- Window animation scale
- Transition animation scale
- Animator duration scale
Force GPU rendering
This hardware-accelerated rendering setting forces your Android-powered device to use the graphics processing unit (GPU) for 2D rendering.
It may increase performance in some apps, especially older ones or those not optimised for modern hardware. However, it can also drain the battery faster.
Stay awake when charging
The Stay Awake option prevents your device from going to sleep while it’s charging.
This can be useful if you need to keep your screen on for extended periods while the device is plugged in, such as when using it as a display or for monitoring tasks.
Bluetooth options
Within the developer options is a series of Bluetooth settings you can change. Each of these options allows you to fine-tune audio settings and connections. These settings allow you to change:
- Bluetooth AVRCP Version
- Bluetooth Audio Codec
- Bluetooth Audio Sample Rate
- Bluetooth Audio Channel Mode
How to disable developer mode on Android.
It’s important to disable developer mode on Android when you’ve finished experimenting to maintain optimal security and stability. You might find that some apps may behave differently or refuse to run with developer options enabled.
If you no longer need developer options enabled, you can easily disable them.
Disabling developer mode.
If you’ve made changes while in developer mode, disabling it will reset them. Here’s how to disable developer mode on Android:
- Open the Settings app.
- Navigate to System.
- Tap Advanced.
- Find Developer Options.
- Toggle the main Developer Options switch at the top of the menu to the Off position. This will disable all developer settings at once.
Resetting app preferences.
Resetting app preferences will remove any app-specific changes made while in developer mode. App-specific settings will be reset, but app data won’t be removed.
- Open the Settings app.
- Find Apps or Apps & Notifications.
- Tap the three dots in the right-hand corner.
- Select Reset App Preferences.
- Review the on-screen warning and tap Reset.
Enabling developer settings on your Android-powered device unlocks a realm of possibilities for customisation and control. While it’s a powerful tool, it’s essential to understand the implications of each setting. By following this guide, you can start to safely explore the hidden potential of your device and tailor it to your specific needs.