How to enable developer options on Android

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

Developer OptionsAndroidSmartphoneDevice ManagementSoftwareCustomizationMobile OSPerformanceSecurityTroubleshooting

Android is an open-source operating system primarily used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. As an open-source platform, it allows users to have significant control over their devices. One such control is to gain access to developer options, a hidden menu that provides advanced settings and features. These options are typically used by developers for debugging and software development, but they can also be useful for non-developers who want to gain more control over their devices.

Why should you enable developer options?

Before we discuss the steps to enable developer options, it's important to understand why you might want to enable them. Here are some of the most common reasons:

• USB Debugging: This is important for developers who need to connect their Android devices to their computers for debugging purposes.
• Stay Awake option: Keeps the screen on while charging, useful for continuously monitoring your device without having to unlock it frequently.
• Advanced Reboot: Provides more reboot options, including recovery and bootloader modes.
• Network-related features: Such as monitoring network activity or enabling Wi-Fi verbose logging.
• GPU-related options: such as "Force GPU rendering" which can make certain graphical operations more efficient.
• Animation speed settings: You can increase or disable the speed of animations to make your device faster.

Prerequisites

Enabling Developer Options is straightforward and doesn't require any special skills or tools. However, it's important to proceed with caution as tinkering with advanced settings can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Make sure you follow all the steps carefully and understand the changes you're making.

Steps to enable developer options on Android

Follow these steps to enable Developer options on your Android device:

Step 1: Go to Settings

Open the Settings app on your Android device. This can usually be found in the app drawer or by swiping down and tapping the gear icon to access the Quick Settings menu.

Step 2: Go to “About phone”

Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu and tap About phone (or About device, depending on your Android version and manufacturer). This section contains information about your device such as the model, system updates, and more.

Step 3: Find the build number

In the About phone section, look for the Build number. This may be nested under the More submenu depending on your specific device model. For example, some devices will have it under Software Information.

Step 4: Tap on Build number

Once you find the build number, tap on it repeatedly (usually 7 times). You will get a prompt to confirm your device's lock screen PIN or password. Enter it to proceed. After successful confirmation, you will see a message at the bottom of the screen saying, "You are now a developer!"

Step 5: Access Developer Options

Now that Developer Options are enabled, head back to the main Settings menu. You'll now see a new entry called Developer Options, usually located under the System or Additional Settings sub-menu.

Step 6: Turn on Developer Options

Open the Developer Options menu and toggle the switch at the top from Off to On. You can now access and modify a wide range of advanced settings.

Key developer options and what they do

Here is a detailed description of some of the most commonly used developer options:

USB debugging

USB debugging is one of the most important options for developers. Enabling USB debugging allows an Android device to communicate with a computer running the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) to run, debug, and install apps. To enable it:

1. Go to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Find and toggle the USB Debugging option to On.

Accept the pop-up alert warning you about the risks of using this feature.

Stay awake

The Stay Awake option keeps your screen on while your device is charging. This can be useful for developers or anyone who wants to constantly monitor their device without it going into sleep mode.

1. Navigate to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Turn on the Stay Awake option.

Window animation scale

The Window Animation Scale option allows you to adjust the speed of window animations. Reducing or turning off animations can make your device feel faster.

1. Go to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Scroll down to the Window Animation Scale.
3. Tap and select your desired speed or turn it off.

Force GPU rendering

The Force GPU rendering option forces apps to use the GPU (graphics processing unit) for 2D rendering, which can improve graphical performance in some scenarios.

1. Go to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Turn on Force GPU Rendering.

Fake location

The Mock Location feature allows developers to simulate GPS data for testing purposes. This can be useful for app developers who need to test location-based features without physically visiting different locations.

1. Navigate to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Scroll to the Select mock location app option.
3. Choose the app you want to use for mock locations.

Don't keep activities

The Don't Keep Activities option destroys every activity as soon as the user leaves it. It is mainly used to detect memory related issues in apps.

1. Go to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Toggle the Don't Keep Activities option to On.

Background process limit

The Background Process Limit option allows you to set how many processes can run simultaneously in the background. This can be helpful in optimizing memory usage.

1. Go to Settings > Developer Options.
2. Scroll down to the Background process limit option.
3. Tap and select your desired limit.

Conclusion

Enabling Developer Options on an Android device unlocks a number of advanced features and settings that are incredibly useful for both developers and power users. While the process is straightforward — only requiring a few taps on the build number — the unlocked capabilities provide ample control over the device. Whether you want to enable USB debugging for development, adjust animation speed to make the device faster, or simulate GPS data, Developer Options offers it all.

However, it is important to proceed with caution. Incorrectly configuring some of these settings could cause unstable system performance or other unintended consequences. Always make sure you fully understand any setting you are about to change and understand its implications.

By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily enable Developer Options and start exploring the advanced capabilities of your Android device, giving you more control and customizability.

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