Quick Answer
Open Settings, find About phone, then tap the Build number field seven times in a row. Enter your PIN when prompted. Developer options now appears as a new entry in Settings, usually under System or near the bottom of the menu.
On Samsung One UI you must first open About phone, Software information, then tap Build number. On Xiaomi HyperOS, tap OS version seven times instead.
Why Developer Options exists
Developer options is the control panel Google built for app developers to debug software on real hardware. It exposes settings that would confuse most users (USB debugging, animation scales, GPU rendering profiles, Bluetooth audio codecs) and a few that are useful for everyday tinkering, like staying awake while charging or limiting background processes during testing.
Android hides the menu by default because changing the wrong setting can break your phone's behaviour in subtle ways. Unlocking it is reversible, but you should know what each toggle does before you flip it.
The seven tap method (universal)
- Open Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap About phone (some skins call it About device).
- Find the Build number row.
- Tap it seven times in a row. After three taps a toast says "You are now X steps away from being a developer."
- Enter your lock screen PIN, pattern, or password when prompted.
- A final toast confirms "You are now a developer!"
Where to tap on each major skin
- Google Pixel and Motorola: Settings, About phone, Build number.
- Samsung Galaxy One UI: Settings, About phone, Software information, Build number.
- Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO (HyperOS or MIUI): Settings, About phone, tap MIUI version or OS version seven times.
- OnePlus, Oppo, Realme: Settings, About device, Version, then tap Build number.
- Nothing Phone: Settings, About phone, Build number.
Where to find the menu after unlocking
- Stock Android, Pixel, Motorola: Settings, System, Developer options.
- Samsung: Settings, scroll to the bottom, Developer options.
- Xiaomi: Settings, Additional settings, Developer options.
- OnePlus and Oppo: Settings, System settings, Developer options.
Useful settings you can flip safely
Speed up animations
Open Developer options and scroll to the three animation scales: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. Default is 1x. Set all three to 0.5x for a phone that feels noticeably snappier without breaking anything. Setting them to Off (Animation off) makes the UI feel jumpy.
Force dark mode in stubborn apps
Toggle on Force dark or Override force-dark. Apps that ship only a light theme will be rendered in dark colours by Android. Some apps look broken under this setting, so be prepared to turn it off if a favourite reader or banking app misrenders.
Show CPU and refresh rate overlays
Show refresh rate adds a small counter to the top corner so you can confirm your 120 Hz panel is actually running at 120 Hz inside specific apps. Useful for ruling out throttling issues.
Stay awake while charging
Helpful when you are reading a long article or following a recipe and do not want the screen to lock every 30 seconds.
Settings to leave alone
- OEM unlocking: only flip this if you are about to install a custom ROM and you accept that the warranty and Google Wallet will break.
- USB debugging: enable only when you are about to plug into a trusted computer to deploy or debug an app. Turn it off afterwards. Public USB ports become an attack surface when this is on.
- Mock location app: only if you have a clear reason (testing a fitness app, working in QA). Some banking and rideshare apps refuse to launch when mock locations are enabled.
- Strict mode enabled: flashes the screen red when an app is slow on the main thread. Useful only if you are a developer profiling your own app.
USB debugging: when you actually need it
USB debugging lets your phone talk to ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on a connected PC. You will need it if you want to sideload an APK, capture a logcat, take a high quality screen recording from your computer (scrcpy), or reset a forgotten lock screen on some older models.
To turn it on after unlocking Developer options: toggle USB debugging, plug the phone into a trusted computer, and approve the "Allow USB debugging?" prompt that pops up with the computer's RSA key fingerprint. Never approve this prompt on a kiosk or shared PC.
How to hide Developer options again
Open Developer options and toggle the master switch at the top to Off. On most skins the menu vanishes from the Settings list immediately. To wipe it entirely, open Settings, Apps, see all apps, tap the three dot menu, choose Show system, scroll to Settings, tap Storage, then Clear storage. This resets Settings to factory defaults but does not affect personal data.
FAQs
Does enabling Developer options void my warranty?
No. Only flipping OEM unlocking and flashing a custom ROM voids the warranty on most brands.
Will the PIN prompt remember me forever?
You only need to enter your PIN the first time. After that the menu stays unlocked until you reset the phone or clear Settings storage.
Can I do this on a work phone?
Managed devices usually have Developer options blocked by the MDM profile. Tapping Build number does nothing on those phones, and you cannot work around it without removing the work profile.
The takeaway
Seven taps on Build number unlocks a menu full of useful and dangerous switches. Start with animation scales and show refresh rate. Leave OEM unlocking, USB debugging, and mock locations off until you have a specific reason and a trusted computer in front of you.
