Android’s developer options offer advanced features that can enhance the user experience beyond regular functionality. While these options are primarily intended for developers to test and debug their applications, they can also be useful for general users. However, it’s important to note that these options are hidden in the Android Settings menu. In this article, we will be sharing some of the best developer options that you can enable on your Android device to enhance your daily experience. So without further ado, let’s dive into this article.
Learn how to enable Android Developer Options or Developer Mode.
To enable the developer options on your Android device, follow these steps:
- Open the device settings.
- Scroll down to the system settings.
- Tap on the build number seven times to unlock the developer options.
Once you have enabled the Developer options, you will be able to access various functions that can help you configure your device for development purposes, such as USB debugging, staying awake, and forcing GPU rendering. These options allow you to customise the system behaviour to help profile and debug applications and system performance.
However, it is important to use caution when enabling and using the developer options, as some settings have the potential to delete all of your device data. Make sure to be careful when making tweaks to your device after enabling Developer Mode.
Default USB Configuration
The default configurations for USB (Universal Serial Bus) are generally determined by the device itself and its device driver. These configurations typically operate in “Plug & Play” mode and are automatically recognised by the operating system. As a result, you can configure settings that can be modified using their own software or hardware controls.
When you plug a USB into your PC or laptop, there is a predefined process that runs automatically, which may vary across OEMs. However, you can adjust this process according to your personal preference. To do so, check the USB Developers options for USB Settings and choose between Transferring Files/Android Auto, USB Tethering, MIDI, Transferring Images, or Charging Phone Only.
This can be a real-time saver, especially for those cases when you only need to copy, move, or delete files from your PC to your mobile device. From the Developers options menu, go to the Default USB Configuration setting, and from now on it will automatically run as soon as you plug your phone into the computer.
Force Split-Screen Mode
Force Split-Screen Mode, also known as Multi-Window, allows users to view and interact with multiple apps on the same screen at the same time. This feature can be extremely handy for multitasking or simply making it easier for users to switch between applications. If you want to force the split-screen mode to allow truly split-screen functionality, here are some general instructions on how to do so.
Keep in mind that not all devices come with this feature enabled by default, and it may not work with every single application. However, on devices with Android 12 or Android 13, you can find the Force Split-Screen Mode under the Developer options, which allows you to use the multitasking feature on even unsupported applications. While you may encounter some issues with unsupported applications, this feature can still be useful as many applications will scale according to your screen size anyway. To enable this feature, check for the option called “Force Activities to be Resizeable.”
Force Peak Refresh Rate
Force Peak Refresh Rate refers to the maximum refresh rate of your device’s display, which is the number of times per second that the screen is refreshed. A higher refresh rate can provide a smoother and more responsive visual experience, but it also consumes more power.
If your device has a high refresh rate, it may not always be running at the maximum rate, which can cause slight frame drops while using this feature. This is often restricted by the Android system to save battery life or improve the overall performance of the device. To use the peak refresh rate of your device, you can find the option called “Force Peak Refresh Rate” under the Developer options, which will affect the entire device.
However, enabling this developer mode is not recommended for all devices because it may require more power and may cause some apps to crash or behave unexpectedly. We recommend testing your device with this setting enabled and monitoring its performance before deciding whether to continue using it.
Block all sensors.
The “Block all sensors” setting under the Developer options can be helpful for those who are concerned about their privacy. Android has a Sensor Settings menu that allows you to control all of your device’s sensors, including the accelerometer, gyroscope, and proximity sensor, among others.
If you choose to disable any of these settings, they will be inaccessible to any apps on your device. There may also be some battery benefits to doing this, although some functionality may not work. To access this setting, go to the Developer options menu and find the “Quick Settings Developer tiles,” where you will have a direct option to turn the sensors off.
Keep in mind that disabling all sensors may cause certain apps to not work, features to behave unexpectedly, or to stop working entirely. It may also cause the device to behave erratically or drain the battery faster. We recommend testing your device and monitoring its performance when using this setting before deciding whether to continue using it.
Select the Mock Location app.
The “Select Mock Location App” setting in the Developer Options allows users to change the location for a specific app to use a mock location provider. This can be useful for testing location-based features or bypassing location restrictions.
To enable this setting, go to the Developer options menu and look for “Select Mock Location App” under the Location section at the bottom of the page. From there, you can select your preferred location app and use it.
Many applications and services require your location, and there are many apps available that allow you to fake your current location. This can be useful for games that require location and for accessing geo-locked content on streaming apps. You can use a location spoofing app from the Play Store to default to a specified region, and the Mock Location app setting in the Developer options allows you to do something similar.
Speed up on-device animations
Many people criticise the quality, consistency, and smoothness of the animation on Android devices. While Android manufacturers have made significant improvements to the system UI in recent years, some devices still lack in this area.
The Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animation Duration Scale settings, found under the Developer options, allow you to control the speed of on-device animation. You can moderate the speed to boost your device’s performance by adjusting these settings.
To find these options, go to the Developer options menu and look for the “Window Animation Scale,” “Transition Animation Scale,” and “Animator Duration Scale” settings. From there, you can tweak the settings to make things faster or slower according to your preference. A slower number means faster, and a higher number means slower. Adjusting these settings may make your device more responsive and appear to be faster.
Wi-Fi Scan Throttling
The WiFi scan throttling setting in the Developer options allows users to control how often their device scans for active Wi-Fi networks. By default, Android devices will periodically check for networks to ensure that they are connected to the strongest and most up-to-date network available. However, this can impact battery life and device performance.
You can keep this setting enabled for quick Wi-Fi switching, but restrict how often the scanning process takes place to improve battery life and performance. Keep in mind that this may cause the device to take longer to connect to a new Wi-Fi network or lose connectivity to an existing network occasionally. With this setting enabled, your device will check for Wi-Fi networks approximately every 30 minutes. Without this setting, the device will check for Wi-Fi networks every 15 seconds.
Force Dark Mode
The “Override force-dark” setting in the Developer options allows you to force the device to use a dark mode, even if the app developer has not enabled a dark theme. While many apps have adopted a dedicated dark theme or dark mode for Android in recent years, you can still enable dark mode within the developer options.
By toggling this feature, you can use the dark theme on apps that have not enabled a dark theme. However, this may cause issues with usability and may be buggy due to the changes in the UI elements. To enable this setting, search for “Override force-dark” in the Developer options menu and toggle it on.
Always enable or disable mobile data.
The “Mobile Data is Always Active” setting in the Developer options allows you to control whether the device’s mobile data connection is always enabled or disabled. This can be useful for conserving battery life, but it may also potentially affect certain features on your device.
If your device is connected to Wi-Fi, mobile data will be active on your device for quick switching between networks. This may be helpful if you are frequently moving, but for most people who tend to stay in one place for a long time, it may not be necessary. To enable or disable this feature, go to the Developer Options menu and look for “Mobile Data is always active.
Monitor and manage running services.
The “Running Services” setting in the Developer options allows you to view and manage the services running on your device and the components of an app that perform specific tasks, such as playing music or updating the device’s location. From this dashboard, you can manage and monitor any ongoing processes running on your Android phone, including cash apps, which can be found in the recent app menu.
If your device is not functioning properly or you are having trouble understanding what is happening, this dashboard can be a useful place to check and get a better idea about the processes running on your device. From here, you can stop any ongoing processes or applications. To access this setting, go to the Developer options menu and look for “Running Services.”
This is a great option for Android users and should be checked on if you are experiencing any issues with your device. If we have missed anything that you have found useful, please share it with us in the comment section below. Stay tuned for further updates in the future.