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How to Enable or Disable Developer Options on Android

If you're developing or testing apps on Android—for example with Android Studio or Capacitor—you need developer options on your device. This guide shows you how to enable developer options on Android and how to turn them off when you don't need them, with steps for Google Pixel, Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi.

Android developer options are hidden by default to prevent accidental changes that could affect performance or security. Enabling developer options on your Android device is required for USB debugging, running development builds, and testing outside the Play Store. Below we walk through how to enable developer options on Android (and how to disable developer options) for popular device brands.

Google Pixel

Follow these steps to enable Developer Options on Google Pixel devices:

  1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to About phone.

    Open Android Settings

  2. Tap on Build number multiple times (usually 7 times) quickly. You may be prompted to enter your device PIN or pattern. You’ll see a message: “You are now a developer!”

  3. Go back to Settings, and you’ll find Developer Options under System > Developer options.

    Developer Options in Android Settings

  4. Enable Use developer options.

  5. Now scroll down to the Debugging section and toggle USB debugging or Wireless debugging in order to be able to pair your development device with Android Studio.

    Enable Debugging in Android

  6. To disable the developer options, toggle Use developer options again.

Samsung

Follow these steps to enable Developer Options on Samsung devices:

  1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to About phone.

  2. Tap on Software information, then tap Build number multiple times (usually 7 times) quickly. You may be prompted to enter your device PIN or pattern.

  3. Go back to Settings, below About phone you will see Developer options. Depending on the device, it may appear under Settings > General > Developer options.

  4. To disable the Developer options menu, go to Developer options and toggle the switch.

Huawei

Follow these steps to enable Developer Options on Huawei devices:

  1. Open the Settings app and scroll down to About phone.

  2. Tap Build number repeatedly (about 7 times) until you see the message "You are already a developer".

  3. Go back to Settings, and you’ll find Developer options under System > Developer options.

  4. Then turn on USB debugging.

  5. To disable debugging, simply toggle the USB debugging option again.

Xiaomi

Follow these steps to enable Developer Options on Xiaomi devices:

  1. Open the Settings app and tap About phone/tablet.

  2. Tap on Detailed info and specs > OS/MIUI version several times (usually 7 times).

  3. Go back to the main Settings screen.

  4. Tap Additional settings.

  5. You’ll now see Developer options in the list.

  6. To disable, in Additional settings toggle the Developer options switch to hide the developer options.

How to Turn Off Developer Options on Android

To turn off developer options on your Android device, open Settings (or Additional settings on Xiaomi), go to Developer options, and toggle Use developer options off. The menu will be hidden again until you tap the build number to re-enable it. If you're also building for iOS, see our guide on how to enable or disable developer mode on iPhone.

Conclusion

Enabling developer options on Android is the first step to debugging and testing your app on a physical device. Each manufacturer places the option in a slightly different place, but the pattern is the same: tap the build number several times, then turn on USB or wireless debugging as needed.

For more device and build tips, see our troubleshooting guide for Capacitor on Android. If you have questions, join the Capawesome Discord server or subscribe to the Capawesome newsletter to stay updated.