That's all you can do with these settings.

The majority of smartphones and Android tablets already have dozens (and even tons) of settings to change everything from notifications to system colors. There are many more settings hidden in Developer Options, which should help with Android purpose building, but some of them can also be useful for different conditions.

While some of the options available through Developer Options can be useful, it's not always clear which option does what. Although none of the options in Developer Options will break your phone or pill, enabling some of them may cause unwanted problems. That's why we're looking at all the things you can do with Developer Options in this roundup, so you can know exactly which setting does what.

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Find out how to access Developer Choices on Android

Developer options are hidden by default, so it's worth enabling them before accessing any of the available settings. The exact process here depends on which model of Android you're using, and some system manufacturers (equivalent to Samsung) change where some of the menus are located.

The first step is to find where the Construct number is located in your system's Settings app. Typically, you will discover it by opening the Settings app on your system and navigating to About Mobile > Build Quantity . Android 8.0 and Android 8.1 are located in System > About Cellphone > Build Quantity . When you take a pill, this is often called 'On the Pill' alternatively. Positioning may be different for custom versions of Android – for example, Samsung devices have below About phone (or tablet) > Software program data > Construction quantity .

If you can't find it, you may be using a tool with a customized version of Android that targets where some settings are located. If the Settings app has a search button (usually near the top of the screen with a magnifying glass icon), press it and search for “build quantity.” If it appears, press it and it should be highlighted on the about web page.

When you finally access the construction quantity entry, it is important to keep tapping the construction quantity until you see a confirmation message. Older devices simply enabled developer options instantly, while phones and tablets with newer versions of Android often require you to enter your lock display password to verify. You should see a pop-up that says “You are indeed a developer” when finished, as seen in the screenshot below.

After that, you should now have a new Developer Options menu available in your Settings app. Again, the exact location of the developer options menu depends on the Android model and system producer. Some devices (like the latest Samsung phones and tablets) place developer options near the bottom of the main settings screen, while others move them to a system menu or other location. When you have a search button in the Settings app, you can try tapping it and typing “developer options” to search the menu.

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Explaining each setting in Developer Options

Let's look at each possibility in the Android developer options menu and what they do. The exact order and location of these options may differ by system, and some producers add some of their own that we'll cover here. This listing may be primarily based on Android 12L/12.1 — future Android variations may add or remove some of these options.

Important choices

Reminiscence: Tapping this opens a screen showing how much RAM (Random Input Reminiscence) your system is currently using, along with averages based on three-hour, 6-hour, 12-hour, or 1-day intervals. You can also see a list of apps on your phone sorted by how much memory they are using. When you find that your system is reloading applications normally when switching between purposes, it may be a good suggestion to examine this screen and see if an application is misbehaving.

Bug Report: allows you to generate a bug report for the Android system. Google may request a bug report if you file bugs with Android or other major parts of the system.

Bug Report Handler: This modifies which software handles the bug report shortcut on your system. There is usually no reason to vary this.

Desktop backup password: This creates a backup password to use instructions adb to update and restore applications and system information.

Stay awake: Enabling this toggle will prevent your phone from going to sleep (the screen will turn off) when the system is charging. This can be useful for testing apps or other functions where you don't need to unlock the system multiple times over a period of time.

Allow Bluetooth HCI snoop log: This secures all Bluetooth HCI packets in a file saved at /sdcard/btsnoop_hci.log, which can be opened with software like Wireshark to investigate and troubleshoot Bluetooth information.

OEM Unlock: This toggle is required to be enabled when unlocking the bootloader, but it is certainly not the only step to unlocking the bootloader. This feature does not appear on all gadgets.

Operational services: This opens a screen showing all the system purposes and processes running on your system and the amount of memory each is using. It's like the reminiscence screen mentioned above, but it's more useful for checking the current state of your system.

Image Shadow Mode: This switches your system to use the sRGB shadow house, which was useful in the days before most devices used sRGB by default. Today, this change typically has no impact.

WebView implementation: changes which software is responsible for rendering embedded network content for Android purposes. You shouldn't go into this unless you have an excellent reason to do so, or you may end up losing some application information (like if an application uses native storage with WebView).

Automated system updates: Disabling this prevents the system from making use of system updates during the reboot process if an update has already been downloaded. Some gadgets may override these habits, or have another toggle elsewhere for how system updates are handled.

DSU Loader: O DSU Loader feature was released in Android 11 and allows you to quickly boot to a generic system image.

System UI Demo Mode: demo is generally used to capture crisp screenshots without any distracting details. It shows the clock at 12:00, the battery stage at 100% and hides all notification icons.

Quick Settings Developer Tiles: This screen gives you the option to add some options for other developer options to your system's quick settings (where the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options are).

Debugging

USB Debugging: Enabling this allows the utility Android Debug Bridge on a computer communicate with your system via USB. ADB can be used to load apps, change system settings with instructions, grant permissions to apps, and more. However, some apps and games refuse to launch if USB debugging is enabled.

Revoke USB debugging authorizations: Connecting to your system with ADB for the first time requires you to authorize that laptop. This feature revokes all ADB authorizations, which can be useful if you don't have access to some of the computer systems you previously used.

Wi-Fi Debugging: This allows you to use ADB over a local Wi-Fi community instead of just USB. Wi-Fi scrubbing has been available on Android for years, but Google only added this toggle with Android 11.

Disable ADB Authorization Timeout: Most gadgets routinely revoke USB debugging authorizations after seven days of non-use as a security measure. This toggle disables this feature – you should not use this unless you have a good cause.

Bug Report Shortcut: This provides a new button in the power menu to produce a bug report.

Allow detailed supplier registration: consists of extra data in bug experiences, presumably along with personal data.

Allow view attribute inspection: allows you to examine views across purposes using the Structure Inspector in Android Studio , which can be useful when creating applications.

Choose the debug application/watch the debugger: Regular bug experiments and debugging don't always present all the knowledge you want when building an application, especially when it comes to determining why an application fails to launch. This feature allows you to choose a debugger software that can be launched before a given application, configured with the possibility of “waiting for debugger”.

Confirm apps via USB: This scans apps loaded by ADB for dangerous code, just as apps downloaded onto your system are scanned using Google Play Shield. This can be useful if you are downloading applications from the internet onto your laptop and installing them using ADB.

Commit debuggable application bytecode: This is another security measure and is enabled by default.

Register buffer size: changes the maximum file size for the logger (also known as “logcat”). An extended buffer can display older exercises, while a shorter buffer only accommodates logs for the most recent exercise.

Function flags: Google often contains experimental features in Android Developer Previews and Betas, and that's where they are located. Most devices running on a stable version of Android have an empty function flags menu.

Allow GPU debug layers: This feature allows Vulkan validation layers to be loaded from the system's native storage. Google has some documentation with extra data.

Graphics Driver Preferences: This allows you to replace the system's graphics driver for specific purposes with a distinct driver. Most devices have no other option for a graphics driver, but Esper has a blog post explaining how this works , if you are into the technical aspect.

App Compatibility Tweaks: This menu allows you to check each individual API change within the current Android model for an older application, which is useful for a software update event strategy. It only works for debuggable applications, so it's not very useful outside of improving the software.

Current refresh rate: This provides a Fraps-like counter at the top of the screen to check the current refresh rate, which is useful for devices that dynamically switch between refresh rates. Take into account that no is a body rate counter.

Allow display overlays in settings: Modern versions of Android do not allow overlays to run when you are in the Settings app, to avoid potential security risks. This setting overrides that – don't change it unless you have good cause.

System tracking: It can be a useful software for optimizing efficiency throughout the application improvement.

network

Wi-Fi Program Certification: This setting used to allow you to forge your system's screen to any TV or monitor that Miracast support , but Google retired the code for it years ago in favor of its own standard Chromecast , so this toggle doesn't actually do anything on most gadgets

Allow detailed Wi-Fi logging: This reveals the Obtained Signal Strength Indicator, or RSSI for short, across all communities in the Wi-Fi settings. The RSSI value can tell you the strength of a given Wi-Fi signal, but applications like WiFi Analyzer are generally better software for the job.

Wi-Fi Protected Mode: This feature is available on some gadgets and prioritizes community stability over efficiency.

Wi-Fi Scan Acceleration: This limits how often your system scans for Wi-Fi networks, which can generally decrease battery drain, but also means it will take your system longer to connect to identified networks.

Wi-Fi Non-Persistent MAC Randomization/Enhanced Wi-Fi MAC Randomization: Android makes use of randomization Persistent MAC or randomization non-persistent MAC when connecting to Wi-Fi networks, depending on what is needed. This feature forces Android to always use non-persistent MAC randomization, which basically tricks the community into thinking you can have a whole new system every time you log in. This can be useful for networks with capacitive logins or different configuration points.

Cellular data always on: Android turns off your cellular data connection whenever you're connected to Wi-Fi because keeping both connections active will increase battery drain. This feature reverses these habits, which can be useful if you don't have to wait for LTE or 5G to reconnect while disconnecting from Wi-Fi. Be warned: it will undoubtedly reduce battery life.

Tethering {hardware} acceleration: This setting is enabled by default and improves tethering connections with hardware-specific options. You probably shouldn't mess with this.

Standard USB Configuration: This changes the mode that is used while you connect your system to a computer (or other USB host) ⁠— most devices have “No Information Key” as the default option. When you are constantly transferring information over USB, for example, you can set the “File Exchange” selection here to avoid selecting it every time. Please note that the setting only applies when the system is unlocked.

Show unnamed Bluetooth devices: o Android normally ignores Bluetooth devices that have no reputation, but this setting reveals them with their MAC addresses along with all other Bluetooth devices.

Disable absolute quantity: Modern Android variants support absolute quantity for Bluetooth outputs, which typically gives you probably the most control over quantity possible. However, some headphones and headsets can be tricky with this enabled. Turning it on (which turns full volume off, not on) can help in conditions where the audio system or headphones are very quiet.

Allow Gabeldorsche : This enables the new Bluetooth stack that Google started using in Android 11, called Gabeldorsche ( a reference to the history of Denmark ). There's no reason most people should use this now, and it's actually hidden on some devices.

Disable Bluetooth A2DP {hardware} offloading: changes the way Bluetooth audio is transmitted and Can usually repair buggy Bluetooth headphones and audio system .

AVRCP Bluetooth Model/Bluetooth MAP Model: change the way Android handles Bluetooth media controls. You probably shouldn't mess with these settings.

HD Audio: This toggle is on by default and switches Bluetooth audio from the lower quality SBC codec to a higher quality codec. If no higher codec can be found, otherwise you do not have a Bluetooth audio system linked in any way, this setting may be grayed out.

Bluetooth Audio Codec: This menu shows each audio codec supported by your Android system, and if you have a Bluetooth system linked, options not supported by your headphones or audio system will likely be grayed out. There's usually no reason to change the audio codec here (Android usually chooses one of the best available), but this menu is a great way to quickly look at the codecs a Bluetooth audio system works with.

Load/bits per Bluetooth audio standard: changes some of the high quality settings for Bluetooth audio. You probably shouldn't mess with them.

Bluetooth Audio Channel Mode: This modification if your Bluetooth audio system uses Mono or Stereo audio. Unfortunately, like the codec selector, you will only be able to select modes supported by the audio system.

Most linked Bluetooth audio devices: Some phones and tablets can connect to multiple Bluetooth audio devices without delay. The default is already the highest possibility allowed, so there is normally no reason to change anything here.

To type

Feature taps: This reveals a point on the screen where all fingers are currently touching the screen. This feature is useful during screen recordings to indicate where you are touching on the screen, but some built-in screen recorders have the option to allow this regularly during recording.

Pointer location: This is like 'Present Taps', but it certainly shows the precise coordinates of your taps at the top of the show.

Design

Feature floor updates: This flashes the entire screen when something changes in the current state of the application. This can be useful for debugging applications, but if you are sensitive to motion, don't allow this .

Display format limits: This reveals a grid format across all parts, making it simpler to see margin areas on certain parts. Again, this is only really useful when creating applications.

Pressure RTL format route: This forces all textual content to be displayed from right to left, even when the current language is written from left to right. This feature can be useful for testing the appearance of applications in languages such as Arabic without actually changing the system language.

Window Animation Scale/Transition Animation Scale/Animator Period Scale: These three options change the rhythm of most animations on Android. Setting them to values like 0.5x can often make your system feel faster, but it can also lead to a more choppy experience.

Simulate Side Gigs: Simulates a monitor connected to your Android system, with the result displayed in a translucent layer at the top of the screen. This can be useful when testing purposes that respond to external shows.

Smallest width/minimum width: This is another approach to changing the scale for purposes on Android – a smaller value will scale up and a better value will make everything smaller. The 'Show Dimension' setting in the regular Settings app is typically one of the simplest ways to vary the display scale, however this setting can be much larger and smaller. If your system has Android 12L/12.1 or later, setting a high enough value here will trigger the taskbar intended for tablets .

Show clipping: This is where you can customize the notch, camera space, or other cutouts on your system's screen. If your system already has a cutout, the 'Cover' option will push the support bar all the way down to make it invisible.

{Hardware} Accelerated Rendering

Present Preview Updates/Present {Hardware} Layer Updates: These are exactly like the 'Current floor updates' setting mentioned above. There is no reason to use them except if you are a developer testing an application.

Debug GPU overdraw: This makes use of color coding to visualize how many instances the same pixel has been drawn on the same body. The preview reveals where an application may be doing more rendering than required.

Debug non-rectangular cropping operations: This disables clipping space on the screen to create unusual (non-rectangular) screen areas.

Replace Dark Force: This setting was added in Android 10 and is designed to target apps to have a dark theme , even when they don't have one. However, it never worked for all purposes when it was new and seems even less reliable now. Most Android apps still have a local dark mode at this level, so it's not as mandatory.

4x MSAA Pressure: This forces multisample anti-aliasing (MSAA) in all applications that use OpenGL ES 2.0.

Disable HW Overlays: Overlays of {Hardware} allow applications that show something on the screen to use much less processing power. Without the overlay, an application shares the reminiscence of the video and has to constantly examine the collision and clipping to render a correct image. Don't mess with this selection unless you have a good reason to do so.

Simulate shadow house: This can change the show's colors between several completely different modes, including a monochromatic option.

media

Disable USB Audio Routing: This prevents Android from routinely using newly connected USB audio devices, equivalent to headphone adapters or USB headsets. It can be useful if you want to connect a tool that provides an audio output but doesn't actually need to use half the audio – for example, a USB dock or adapter with a 3.5mm headphone jack among other ports.

Media Transcoding Settings: This menu has options for changing how the system contains hundreds of media information. Do not contact them.

Monitoring

Strict mode enabled: This could be software for builders to observe unintentional storage or community input into the fundamental segment of a software.

Profile HWUI rendering: This is a way to monitor the GPU performance on your system, although it is not very useful outside of testing purposes during improvement.

applications

Do not hold shares: it will forcefully close apps as soon as they are moved to the background – mostly the same as removing them from the Recents screen. There is no reason to use this except that you are testing an application and should reload it consistently for testing.

Restriction background course: This modifies the widest range of purposes that can be stored in background memory before being cleared. Again, there's no reason to change this, and changing it would worsen battery life – restarting apps always uses more processing power than keeping them in the background.

Crash dialog present all the time: Quite self-explanatory, it will present a pop-up message any time when a software crashes for straightforward error reporting.

Show ANRs in the background: Enable It will present 'App is not responding' messages for apps running in the background along with the default habits of displaying them for frozen apps open on your screen.

Execution drop for cached applications: Android devices should not run when they are cached in memory, but this selection completely prevents them from doing so. This feature may increase battery life at the expense of efficiency (it would take more time for cached apps to restore when opened again), but real-life results are combined .

Display notification channel warnings: most Android apps classifies your notifications into classes , which can be enabled or disabled individually in Android settings. Enabling this selection reveals a warning when an app sends a notification that is not assigned to a class. This is mainly useful for builders to ensure all their notifications are in one class – if you're looking for which channel a notification came from, just click and hold it in the notifications panel.

Reset notification importance: Android tries to sort your notifications over time by importance, and tapping this button resets that habit.

Waiting apps: Lists all purposes currently on hold on your system.

Pressure Activation Apps Abroad: The Android apps can choose whether or not to be placed on external storage (usually the microSD card slot) with a manifest setting, but this option overrides that. Changing this and transferring unsupported apps to external storage may trigger unusual behavior, so it's best to leave it alone.

Press actions to be resizable: This feature forces all purposes to be resizable, which is often a (buggy) fix for apps that don't work in split-screen mode or can't be resized on Chromebooks.

Allow free-form home windows: This feature allows you to open purposes in floating home windows even when the system is not designed for freeform mode (like most phones). When you allow this, long-press an app icon on the Recents screen and choose 'Freeform' to display it in a floating window. Some custom Android variations already have a custom implementation of this, such as 'Pop-up View' on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets.

Press Desktop Mode: When you enter an external show (e.g. a monitor via USB Type-C), it will prompt you to use a simplified desktop interface with free-form home windows and a custom launcher. The exact implementation of this varies by Android skin and model, and some devices have their own habits that override this selection.

Allow non-resizable across multiple windows/Multi-Window for all apps: allows purposes not designed for resizing (like many video games) to use in multi-window mode.

Reset ShortcutManager rate limiting: Android limits how many times an app can replace its shortcuts on the home screen and other areas of the system to avoid performance slowdowns . This feature resets the rate limiting timer, which is especially useful for improvements.

Different sections

Automatic filling: All of the options in this part are for testing the Android autocomplete framework, and there is no reason to vary any options here except that you are testing an application that uses autocomplete information (or an autocomplete vendor).

Storage: This only accommodates one possibility, which could present any bubbles of information shared on the Android system. Most of the time, it will probably be empty with a message like “There is no information shared for this consumer”.

Location: The 'Choose mock location app' option can be used together with apps like GPS Joystick to fake your system's physical location. Test our location spoofing information for more details.

Games: some Samsung Galaxy devices have an item called 'Games' in developer options with a setting to GPUWatch , which provides overlays for FPS and CPU load. Compared to the refresh rate counter in the 'Show' section, this reveals the current FPS value of the current software or game, which is usually lower than the exact refresh rate of the program.

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We hope this information explains these settings beyond what you might see on your system screen.