Turn Off Developer Options on Android: 2 Ways

Developer Options is a hidden Android menu packed with advanced settings like USB debugging, animation scaling, and mock location. Leaving it on is generally harmless, but it can clutter your Settings app and, in some cases, pose a minor security risk if you connect your phone to unfamiliar computers. This guide shows you how to turn it off completely or simply hide the menu, depending on what you want to achieve. You don’t need any special tools—just your phone.

What You’ll Need

Your Android phone or tablet
Access to the Settings app
Your device unlock PIN, pattern, or password (required to toggle the master switch off)

Step-by-Step

There are two ways to disable Developer Options. The first completely resets all developer settings; the second simply hides the menu from view. Both are shown below.

Method 1: Turn Off the Master Switch (Recommended)

Open the Settings app on your Android phone. It’s usually a gear icon in your app drawer or notification shade.
Scroll down and tap System. On some phones (like Samsung or Xiaomi), you may need to tap Additional settings or About phone first. If you don’t see “System,” look for “Developer options” directly in the main Settings list.
Tap Developer options. It’s usually near the bottom of the System menu.
At the top of the Developer options screen, you’ll see a toggle switch labeled Developer options (or “Use developer options”). Tap it to turn it off.
Confirm if prompted. Some phones ask you to enter your PIN or password to confirm the change.
Once the toggle is off, the Developer options menu will disappear from your Settings app. All the settings inside (like USB debugging) are now disabled.

Method 2: Hide the Menu Without Resetting (Alternative)

This method keeps your developer settings intact but removes the menu from view. It’s useful if you want to temporarily declutter your Settings.

Open Settings and go to System > Developer options (or wherever it appears on your device).
Tap the toggle at the top to turn it off—this is the same as Method 1.
Now, to hide the menu entirely, you need to clear the “unlock” flag that makes it appear. Go back to Settings > About phone (or About device).
Find Build number (it’s usually under “Software information” or “Version”).
Tap Build number seven times. You may need to enter your PIN or password. After the 7th tap, you’ll see a message like “You are now a developer!” or “Developer mode has been turned on.”
Go back to Settings > System. The Developer options menu will reappear, but it will be empty (since you turned the master switch off). You can now leave it as is, or tap the toggle again to turn it on later.

Common Mistakes

Only turning off individual toggles: Many users turn off USB debugging but leave the master switch on. This keeps the Developer options menu visible and leaves other settings active. Always use the master toggle.
Forgetting the confirmation prompt: Some phones require you to enter your lock screen PIN to confirm. If you skip this, the toggle won’t actually switch off.
Thinking the menu disappears immediately: On some Android versions, the Developer options menu stays visible even after the master switch is off. You may need to restart your phone or clear the “developer” flag by tapping Build number 7 times again (which re-enables it). If you want it gone, you must use Method 1 and then restart.
Confusing “Developer options” with “Developer mode”: On some phones, there’s a separate “Developer mode” toggle in the battery or performance settings. Turning that off doesn’t affect the Developer options menu.

Tips

After turning off Developer Options, restart your phone. This ensures all background services that relied on developer settings are fully stopped.
If you only want to disable USB debugging (for security), you don’t need to turn off Developer Options entirely. Just go into Developer options and toggle off “USB debugging” individually.
Remember that turning off Developer Options does NOT delete any data. It only resets the developer-specific settings to their defaults. Your apps, photos, and files are untouched.
If you plan to re-enable it later, you’ll need to go to About phone and tap Build number 7 times again. This is a standard Android security measure.
On Samsung phones, the Developer options menu is under Settings > Developer options. On stock Android (Pixel), it’s under Settings > System > Developer options. On Xiaomi/Redmi, it’s under Settings > Additional settings > Developer options.

Troubleshooting

The toggle won’t turn off. This sometimes happens if you have an active USB connection to a computer. Disconnect your phone from any PC or charger, then try again. If it still won’t switch, restart your phone and try again.

Developer options menu is still visible after turning off the toggle. This is normal on some devices. The menu stays but is inactive. To hide it completely, you need to “unlock” the developer flag again by tapping Build number 7 times, then turning the master switch off again. On some phones, you can simply restart and the menu will disappear.

I can’t find the Build number. On Samsung phones, it’s under Settings > About phone > Software information. On stock Android, it’s under Settings > About phone. On some Chinese phones, it’s under Settings > My device > All specs. If you can’t find it, search “Build number” in the Settings search bar.

After turning off Developer Options, my phone asks for a password to re-enable it. This is expected. You’ll need to enter your lock screen PIN, pattern, or password to confirm you are the owner. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized changes.

The Developer options menu reappears after a system update. Some Android updates automatically re-enable Developer Options if they were previously on. Simply repeat Method 1 to turn it off again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does turning off Developer Options delete my files or apps?
A: No. It only resets developer-specific settings (like USB debugging, animation scale, and mock location). Your personal data, apps, and media remain untouched.

Q: Will turning off Developer Options improve battery life or performance?
A: Not significantly. Developer options don’t run in the background when idle. However, if you had set a lower animation scale, turning it off will restore the default animations, which may feel slightly slower but won’t affect battery.

Q: Can I turn Developer Options back on later?
A: Yes. Go to Settings > About phone and tap “Build number” seven times. You’ll see a message that developer mode is enabled, and the Developer options menu will reappear in Settings.

Q: Is it safe to leave Developer Options on?
A: Generally yes, but it’s recommended to turn it off if you’re not actively using it. Leaving it on with USB debugging enabled can allow a connected computer to access your device’s data. Turning it off reduces this risk.

Q: Why does my phone ask for a PIN when I try to turn off Developer Options?
A: This is a security feature added in recent Android versions. It prevents someone who has your phone but not your lock screen credentials from disabling the developer settings (which could be used to bypass security).

Q: I turned off Developer Options, but the menu is still there. What’s wrong?
A: Nothing is wrong. On some devices, the menu remains visible but inactive. To remove it entirely, you need to tap Build number 7 times again (which re-enables developer mode), then turn the master switch off again. After a restart, it should disappear.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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