--- description: Step-by-step guide to enable or disable developer mode on your iPhone and iOS devices for testing apps with Xcode and Capacitor. title: How to Enable or Disable Developer Mode on iOS - Capawesome image: https://capawesome.io/docs/assets/images/social/blog/how-to-enable-ios-developer-mode.png --- [ Skip to content](#how-to-enable-or-disable-developer-mode-on-ios) [ 🎉 Introducing **Capawesome Platform** — one platform for Live Updates, Native Builds, App Store Publishing, and Insider SDKs.](https://capawesome.io) * [ Formbricks ](/docs/plugins/formbricks/) * [ Geocoder ](/docs/plugins/geocoder/) * [ Google Sign-In ](/docs/plugins/google-sign-in/) * [ Grafana Faro ](/docs/plugins/grafana-faro/) * [ libSQL ](/docs/plugins/libsql/) * [ Live Update ](/docs/plugins/live-update/) * [ Managed Configurations ](/docs/plugins/managed-configurations/) * [ Media Session ](/docs/plugins/media-session/) * [ ML Kit ](/docs/plugins/mlkit/) * [ Navigation Bar ](/docs/plugins/navigation-bar/) * [ NFC ](/docs/plugins/nfc/) * [ OAuth ](/docs/plugins/oauth/) * [ Pedometer ](/docs/plugins/pedometer/) * [ Photo Editor ](/docs/plugins/photo-editor/) * [ PostHog ](/docs/plugins/posthog/) * [ Printer ](/docs/plugins/printer/) * [ Purchases ](/docs/plugins/purchases/) * [ RealtimeKit ](/docs/plugins/realtimekit/) * [ Screen Orientation ](/docs/plugins/screen-orientation/) * [ Screenshot ](/docs/plugins/screenshot/) * [ Secure Preferences ](/docs/plugins/secure-preferences/) * [ Speech Recognition ](/docs/plugins/speech-recognition/) * [ Speech Synthesis ](/docs/plugins/speech-synthesis/) * [ Share Target ](/docs/plugins/share-target/) * [ Square Mobile Payments ](/docs/plugins/square-mobile-payments/) * [ SQLite ](/docs/plugins/sqlite/) * [ Superwall ](/docs/plugins/superwall/) * [ Torch ](/docs/plugins/torch/) * [ Wifi ](/docs/plugins/wifi/) * [ Zip ](/docs/plugins/zip/) * [ Cloud ](/docs/cloud/) * [ Live Updates ](/docs/cloud/live-updates/) * Advanced * Integrations * [ Native Builds ](/docs/cloud/native-builds/) * [ Configuration ](/docs/cloud/native-builds/configuration/) * [ Environments ](/docs/cloud/native-builds/environments/) * Guides * [ Sample Projects ](/docs/cloud/native-builds/sample-projects/) * [ Troubleshooting ](/docs/cloud/native-builds/troubleshooting/) * [ Automations ](/docs/cloud/automations/) * [ Assist ](/docs/cloud/assist/) * Account * Organizations * [ Organization and User Management ](/docs/cloud/organizations/memberships/) * [ Single Sign-On (SSO) ](/docs/cloud/organizations/sso/) * [ Teams ](/docs/cloud/organizations/teams/) * [ Two-Factor Authentication ](/docs/cloud/organizations/two-factor-authentication/) * [ Integrations ](/docs/cloud/integrations/) * [ License Keys ](/docs/cloud/license-keys/) * [ Webhooks ](/docs/cloud/webhooks/) * [ Pricing ](https://capawesome.io/pricing/) * [ FAQ ](/docs/cloud/faq/) * [ Support ](/docs/cloud/support/) * [ Contributing ](/docs/contributing/) * [ LLMs ](/docs/llms/) * [ Insiders ](/docs/insiders/) * [ License ](https://capawesome.io/legal/eula/) * [ Support ](/docs/insiders/support/) * [ FAQ ](/docs/insiders/faq/) * [ Blog ](/blog/) * Categories # How to Enable or Disable Developer Mode on iOS[¶](#how-to-enable-or-disable-developer-mode-on-ios "Permanent link") If you're developing or testing apps on your iPhone —for example with Xcode or [Capacitor](https://capacitorjs.com/)— you need **developer mode** on your iOS device. This guide shows you how to enable developer mode on iPhone and how to turn off developer mode when you don't need it. **Developer mode on iPhone** (iOS developer mode) was introduced in **iOS 16** as a security measure. It ensures that only users who explicitly enable it can run apps from Xcode or other development tools, reducing the risk of sideloaded apps being installed without your knowledge. Enabling developer mode on your iPhone is required for running development builds and testing outside the App Store. ## Enabling Developer Mode on iOS[¶](#enabling-developer-mode-on-ios "Permanent link") 1. Open the Settings app, scroll down and navigate to **Privacy & Security > Developer Mode**. ![Enabling Developer Mode on iOS](/blog/how-to-enable-ios-developer-mode/347281764-2d7a9465-3e6c-45d3-8bc2-48f4a8d2f7e2.png) 2. Enable the Developer Mode options. Tap **Restart** when prompted. ![Developer mode iOS](/blog/how-to-enable-ios-developer-mode/573812495-8e1c4c63-2b7f-4cbe-94b8-19d9cbb8f473.png) 3. Unlock your phone once the device restart is completed. Then the device shows an alert confirming that you want to enable Developer Mode. This is just to ensure that you are aware of the security risk associated with installing a development-signed software. ![Confirm Developer Mode](/blog/how-to-enable-ios-developer-mode/914276308-bf6aeb92-7342-4e17-8aa2-2c6b4ef17d9c%20.png) 4. Tap **Turn On** and Developer Mode is now enabled. ## How to Disable Developer Mode on iOS[¶](#how-to-disable-developer-mode-on-ios "Permanent link") To turn off developer mode on your iOS (or any iOS device), open **Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode** and toggle developer mode off. After you disable developer mode on iOS, you won't be able to run apps from Xcode on your device until you enable it again. If you're also building for Android, see our guide on [how to enable Developer Options on Android](/blog/how-to-enable-android-developer-mode/) for the equivalent setup on that platform. For other iOS build issues, check the [iOS troubleshooting guide for Capacitor](/blog/troubleshooting-capacitor-ios-issues/). If you want to understand how iOS code signing works under the hood, read [iOS Certificates and Provisioning Profiles Explained](/blog/ios-certificates-and-provisioning-profiles-explained/). If you have questions, join the [Capawesome Discord server](https://discord.gg/VCXxSVjefW) or [subscribe to the Capawesome newsletter](/newsletter/) to stay updated. May 7, 2026 Back to top