4 Ways to Turn off Developer Options (Mode) on Android

Developer Mode on Android is a hidden treasure of advanced functionalities. Designed primarily for app developers and power users, it provides access to an array of debugging and tuning options. However, tinkering with sensitive settings without proper knowledge can be a double-edged sword. That’s why they remain hidden by default. In this tutorial, we’ll check out 4 ways to turn off the Developer Options on Android devices from OEMs like Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, etc.

Developer Options can unleash the full potential of your Android device. While these options offer immense flexibility and functionality, they also come with inherent risks if misused or enabled without proper understanding. Therefore, caution must be exercised when exploring the options found under developer settings.

Turning off the Developer mode on Android is easier than enabling it. Below, we’ll check out 4 ways to disable the Developer Options on Android devices from OEMs like OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, etc.

1. Via Phone Settings

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Navigate to Developer options and tap on it. On some Android devices, you may have to go to System > Advanced or Additional Settings to find the Developer options.
3. Now, tap the toggle button to turn off the Developer options.

2. Using ADB Command

ADB is a command-line tool for Android that lets you perform a host of basic and advanced tasks. Below, are the steps to disable the Developer Options using ADB. I tested this method on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Redmi K30 Pro, and OnePlus 11. It should work on all Android devices regardless of the manufacturer.

1. Download and set up the latest Android SDK Platform Tools on your computer.
2. Make sure you have enabled USB debugging in the Developer options.
3. Navigate to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and change it to 5 minutes. The screen of your phone must remain unlocked while executing ADB commands.
4. Connect your Android device to your computer via a compatible USB cable.
5. Open the ‘platform-tools‘ folder, right-click an empty area, and select the Open in Terminal option from the context menu.
6. When the Command Prompt or PowerShell window is launched, type the following command and press Enter.

   adb devices

7. At this point, you will be prompted to authorize the ADB device on your phone. Tap on Allow.
8. ADB will show your device ID as a string of alphanumeric values under the list of attached devices. It indicates that the Terminal has detected your device.
9. Now, execute the following command.

   adb shell

10. Then type or paste the following command exactly as it is in the command window.

    settings put global development_settings_enabled 0

11. Hit the Enter key. You won’t get any output in the Terminal window as shown below.
12. That’s it! You have successfully turned off the Developer Options on your Android phone.

Bonus Tip: If you want to turn off only USB debugging on your device, you can execute the following command in the Terminal.

settings put global adb_enabled 0

3. Reset the Settings App

You can also turn off the Developer Options on your Android phone or tablet by clearing the data of the Settings app. Here is how to do this:

1. Open your device Settings and go to Apps or Applications.
2. Look for the Settings app in the list of apps and tap it.
3. Then select Storage.
4. Tap the Clear data option and select Delete when prompted.

Doing so will reset the device settings and deactivate the Developer Mode on your phone.

You can also reset the device settings from Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset all settings. If you don’t find the Reset option on your phone, use the Search feature in Settings.

4. Perform a Factory Reset

I already mentioned 3 simple methods to turn off the Developer Options on Android devices. However, I doubt anybody would choose the next method because it’ll wipe all data and settings on your device. I’m mentioning it only because it does disable the Developer Mode.

1. Open the Settings on your phone.
2. Go to General Management > Reset. Alternatively, tap the Search icon in Settings and type “factory reset” in the search box.
3. Select Factory data reset > Reset, and enter your security PIN to confirm your choice.

I hope this tutorial helped you disable the Developer Mode on your Android phone.