How to use Android’s Developer Mode
DISCOVER THE BEST FEATURES OF THIS HIDDEN AND USEFUL MODE ON YOUR ANDROID DEVICE.
REGULAR READERS OF our Android guides will have noticed that we, on occasion, refer to Developer Mode that is needed to enable a specific function. But for those who like to tweak and experiment with their Android experience, Developer Mode has a lot to offer. Don’t let the name fool you, there are plenty of features that are not just aimed at actual developers. Better yet, nothing special is needed to turn it on, and it can’t damage your phone — though it can cause bugs, until turned back off. Just think of developer mode as some advanced but hidden options. Of course, not everything in the mode is useful to everyday users, so read on to find out about the best features.
ENABLE / DISABLE DEVELOPER MODE
In this guide, we will focus on Android Marshmallow and Nougat, but developer mode also has some options available for older versions. Keep in mind that playing with some of the available features can adversely affect performance or battery life, but it can always be turned off. Google also adds and removes different Developer Mode options with updates, so the availability can change, or new features can be introduced.
To enable Developer Mode, head to Settings, then swipe down to the bottom and tap ‘About phone’. Swipe down again until you see Build number, and start tapping it. After seven taps, a little prompt will pop up, saying “You are now a developer”. Head back to the Settings menu, and there will now be an extra entry — Developer options. Depending on your exact version of Android, the options vary, but we’ve covered the most useful features. There are loads more options that we can touch on, but many require more in-depth knowledge to get much use from.
To disable Developer Mode, just open up the menu and hit the off switch. To actually remove the menu entry, go to ‘Settings > Apps’, scroll down to and tap Settings, then tap Storage and ‘CLEAR DATA’, then select OK.
USB CONFIGURATION
When you plug your Android device into a PC, it will automatically enter a specific mode, such as charging only or data transfer. This option allows you to set the default action to data transfer if it is not already, or one of the other lesser used options.
ANIMATIONS SCALES
To make things pretty, Android animates transitions — such as switching between apps or opening up menus. On a slow phone, these sometimes take too long, giving a sluggish feel. To help make Android seem faster, you can turn the animation scales down, which gives a snappier feel. They can also be turned off completely, but note that this can cause bugs with some apps.
GPS SPOOFING
Many apps automatically record your location, but it is actually possible to give a fake location. While not inherently useful outside of app testing, it can be a fun way to make people think you really are in that exotic location posted on Facebook. You need a GPS Spoofer app such as Fake GPS Location ( droid
installed first.
DEVELOPER MODE HAS A LOT TO OFFER. DON’T LET THE NAME FOOL YOU, THERE ARE PLENTY OF FEATURES THAT ARE NOT JUST AIMED AT ACTUAL DEVELOPERS. BETTER YET, NOTHING SPECIAL IS NEEDED TO TURN IT ON.
Then choose the app under the ‘Select mock location app’ menu entry.
ADVANCED GRAPHICS OPTIONS
Under developer options, there is a switch to force your smartphone to use higher-end graphics processing. It’s called Force 4x MSAA (multisample anti-aliasing). The effect is only really useful for particularly graphically intensive games and apps on a smartphone with a powerful GPU. The result is slightly better looking, and smoother visuals, at the cost of reduced battery life, and a hotter running phone.
RECORD YOUR SCREEN
Ever wondered how people create those YouTube videos of Android gaming, or other tutorials? It’s possible in Developer Mode, without needing root access. You need to turn on USB Debugging, and download and run Android Studio ( developer.android.com) to a PC. Your phone needs to be connect in Camera (PTP) mode. Follow a guide if you’re not sure, or to learn about options such showing touches.
LIMIT BACKGROUND PROCESSES
With some apps using a lot of resources when running in the background, you can limit how many can be active at once. The option is called ‘Background process limit’, and can be set from none to 4. This is an easy way to help see if performance is improved. This doesn’t stop apps that auto-run (such as checking email), but can cause bugs.