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Android Basics: How to Enable Developer Options & USB Debugging

May 14, 2015 05:04 PM
Apr 20, 2018 11:32 PM
Smartphone displaying a QR code on a tiled surface.

Many Android utilities use Android Debug Bridge, or ADB for short, to send commands from a computer over to your phone or tablet. This enables such utilities to run terminal commands that, in some cases, wouldn't be possible on Android without root access.

Before getting started with an ADB mod on the computer side of things, you'll need to enable "USB debugging" on your Android device. But this option is hidden in a secret settings menu that you'll need to activate first.

Activate the Hidden 'Developer Options' Menu

These settings may vary slightly depending on your device, but the general gist of it should be about the same. To begin, head to the main Settings menu on your Android device, then scroll all the way to the bottom and select "About phone," "About tablet," or "About device." From here, scroll down towards the bottom of the list again, then tap the "Build number" entry 7 times in rapid succession.

For an Amazon Fire device, you would go to Settings -> Device options, then tap repeatedly on the "Serial number." If you have a newer device, like a Samsung Galaxy S9 or a Google Pixel running Android P, it's slightly different, so hit those links to see how it's done.

Settings menu of a mobile device displaying options for language, data, accessibility, printing, and about phone.
Android Basics: How to Enable Developer Options & USB Debugging
Settings menu of a mobile device displaying options for language, data, accessibility, printing, and about phone.
Android Basics: How to Enable Developer Options & USB Debugging

At this point, you should see a toast message saying that "You are now a developer," which means you've unlocked the hidden Developer options menu.

Enable 'USB Debugging'

Next, back out one level to head to the main Settings menu again. Near the bottom of this screen, select the "Developer options" entry that you just unlocked. From here, tick the box next to the "USB debugging" entry, then press "OK" on the popup.

Settings menu on a mobile device showing options like Backup & Reset, Date & Time, Accessibility, Privacy, and Developer Options.
Developer options menu on an Android device, highlighting USB debugging settings.
Allow USB debugging notification on a mobile device.
Settings menu on a mobile device showing options like Backup & Reset, Date & Time, Accessibility, Privacy, and Developer Options.
Developer options menu on an Android device, highlighting USB debugging settings.
Allow USB debugging notification on a mobile device.

At this point, your Android device is almost ready, but the computer side of the connection will need to be configured before you can fully utilize ADB. For more on that topic, Windows users can use this guide, and Mac users can start here.

Allow USB Debugging Connection

Once the drivers and software have been configured on your computer, connect your Android device to your desktop or laptop with a USB data cable. At this point, you should see a message on your Android device asking if you'd like to allow this computer to connect. Tick the box next to "Always allow from this computer" on this message, then press "OK."

USB debugging confirmation screen with RSA key fingerprint.

If you don't see this message, it could be due to a conflict with your phone or tablet's USB storage connection. If this is the case, head to your device's main Settings menu, then select "Storage." From here, tap the three-dot menu button at the top of the screen, then choose "USB computer connection."

Settings menu on a smartphone displaying options for Display, Sound & notification, Storage, Battery, Apps, and Users.
Storage settings displaying total space, available space, and usage breakdown for apps, pictures, and audio files.
Storage usage overview of a device, displaying allocated space and available memory.
Settings menu on a smartphone displaying options for Display, Sound & notification, Storage, Battery, Apps, and Users.
Storage settings displaying total space, available space, and usage breakdown for apps, pictures, and audio files.
Storage usage overview of a device, displaying allocated space and available memory.

From here, if "Media device (MTP)" is selected, change this option to "Camera (PTP)" instead. At this point, you should see the "Allow USB debugging" message that you missed out on earlier.

USB computer connection settings menu on a mobile device.
USB computer connection settings interface.
USB computer connection settings menu on a mobile device.
USB computer connection settings interface.

With USB debugging enabled on your Android device, you're now ready to send ADB commands over from your computer. What are some of your favorite ADB utilities? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on Android Hacks' Facebook or Twitter, or on Gadget Hacks' Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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