Updated September 8, 2026 · By Ryan Bold
Android Developer options exposes tools for app development and diagnostics. Enabling the menu does not root your phone, unlock its bootloader or require you to enable USB debugging. Turn on only the setting you need.
Reveal Developer options
- Open Settings and locate About phone or the device’s software information.
- Find Build number and tap it seven times. Enter your device PIN if prompted.
- Return to Settings and search for Developer options. Its location depends on the manufacturer and Android version.
On some phones, Build number is inside Software information. If the menu is restricted on a work or school device, do not attempt to bypass the administrator’s policy. Google documents the general process and common settings in Configure on-device developer options.
Choose a setting for a specific task
| Task | Relevant setting | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Connect Android Debug Bridge | USB debugging | Authorize only a computer you trust |
| Inspect app layout | Show layout bounds | The overlay is diagnostic, not a display fault |
| Test animation timing | Animation scale controls | Record the original values before changing them |
| Test app lifecycle behavior | Don’t keep activities | This can disrupt normal app behavior; leave it off for everyday use |
If your goal is USB debugging
Install Google’s SDK Platform-Tools on the computer. This is the official package containing ADB; it is not a product called “Minimal ADB.” Enable USB debugging, connect a data-capable cable, unlock the phone and read its authorization prompt.
The prompt gives that computer debugging access. Do not approve a connection merely because a cable is attached. On a borrowed computer, avoid permanently trusting it. When the task is finished, disable debugging and revoke authorizations you no longer need.
A reversible experiment
If you want to understand the menu without changing security settings, use Show layout bounds. Turn it on, open an app, observe the outlines, then turn it off. You have tested one setting and returned the phone to its previous behavior. Use the same approach for future changes: name the purpose, record the original value, change one item, verify and undo if needed.
Reducing animation duration can make transitions feel quicker, but it does not upgrade the processor or make a slow network faster. That distinction helps avoid changing unrelated settings while troubleshooting.
Settings to leave alone without a clear reason
Do not enable OEM unlocking as part of a routine ADB tutorial. Bootloader changes are a separate process with different consequences. Avoid changing background-process limits or graphics overrides in the hope of a universal speed boost; they can create problems that are difficult to trace back later.
Keep a change log instead of trying a speed-up list
For each change, record the setting, its previous value and the reason for changing it. For example: “Show layout bounds: off → on, to inspect spacing in a test app; restored to off afterwards.” This gives you a way back if an app starts behaving differently.
| Symptom after experimenting | Setting to revisit |
|---|---|
| Colored outlines appear around controls | Show layout bounds |
| Transitions appear abrupt | The animation scales you changed |
| An app restarts whenever you leave it | Don’t keep activities and any background-process limit you changed |
These are troubleshooting leads, not diagnoses: an app can restart for other reasons too. Restore only your recorded changes, then repeat the same action in the app. For debugging access, also inspect Wireless debugging and paired computers if you enabled that feature. Switching off USB debugging should not be your only cleanup step after a wireless session.
Return to normal
Undo individual changes you made, then switch off Developer options if your phone provides a master switch. Reopen any affected app and check its normal behavior. Menu availability differs by device, so a setting absent from your phone is not necessarily an error.
Continue with the ADB app-removal guide only if app removal is your intended task.