Developer Options on Android 14, 15 and 16: Enable in 30 Seconds

Settings > About phone > tap Build number seven times > enter your PIN (or pattern). You see a message that you are a developer. Open Developer options and turn on USB debugging or Wireless debugging when you need adb, Android Studio, or a Capacitor run on a real device. Steps are the same on Android 14, 15 and 16; only the path to Build number changes by brand (table below).

What developer options do (and what they don’t)

Developer options is a hidden settings menu meant for app developers. Turning it on does nothing by itself. It only reveals switches such as:

• USB debugging: lets a trusted computer run adb commands, install builds and read logs.
• Wireless debugging: same thing over Wi-Fi (Android 11+).
• Stay awake: screen stays on while charging, handy during testing.
• Animation scale: speed up or turn off system animations, useful for UI tests.
• Don’t keep activities: destroys activities when you leave them, a good way to test state restoration in a Capacitor app.
• Show taps / Pointer location: useful for recording demos and checking touch targets.

You do not need developer options to install an APK from a browser or file manager, to use most apps, or to receive an over-the-air update.

Enable developer options by brand

Menus move between OS versions. If you cannot find Build number, open Settings and use the search field: type “build number”. On almost every Android device search finds it directly.

Google Pixel (Android 14, 15, 16)

1. Open Settings and scroll to About phone.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Build number seven times. After a few taps you see a countdown toast.
3. Enter your PIN, pattern or password.
4. Go back to Settings > System > Developer options.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings > About phone > Software information.
2. Tap Build number seven times and confirm with your PIN.
3. Developer options now appears at the very bottom of the main Settings list, below About phone.

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO

1. Open Settings > About phone.
2. Tap OS version (HyperOS) or MIUI version (older devices) seven times.
3. Go to Settings > Additional settings > Developer options.

Xiaomi adds two extra switches you usually need for development: Install via USB and USB debugging (Security settings). Without “Install via USB”, adb install fails with INSTALL_FAILED_USER_RESTRICTED. Turning these on may require signing in to a Xiaomi account and having a SIM card inserted.

OnePlus, OPPO and realme

1. Open Settings > About device > Version.
2. Tap Build number seven times.
3. Open Settings > System settings > Developer options (OnePlus) or Settings > Additional settings > Developer options (OPPO, realme).

Huawei and Honor

1. Open Settings > About phone.
2. Tap Build number seven times.
3. Go to Settings > System & updates > Developer options.

If adb does not see a Huawei device over USB, set the USB connection mode to File transfer when you plug it in.

Build number missing or “This action is unavailable”

Wrong line in About phone. Tapping Android version or Security patch level does not enable developer mode. On Samsung use Software information > Build number. On Xiaomi use OS version or MIUI version, not the generic model name at the top.

Work profile or managed device. Phones enrolled in work or school policies often block developer options. You may see Developer options are not available for this user or This action is unavailable when you tap Build number. Open Settings > Accounts and confirm you are on the personal profile, not Work. Ask IT for a dedicated test device instead of bypassing policy.

Guest user. Switch to your main user: Settings > System > Multiple users (path varies), sign out of Guest, then repeat the seven taps on the owner account.

Parental controls and restricted profiles. Family Link or a restricted secondary user can hide Build number or block the unlock gesture. Use an unrestricted owner account.

Still stuck. Reboot, install pending system updates, then search Settings for build number again. If the device is second-hand and still locked down, the previous owner or carrier may have left enterprise controls in place.

Turn on USB debugging

1. Open Developer options and switch on USB debugging.
2. Connect the phone with a USB cable that supports data (many cheap cables are charge-only).
3. On the phone, accept the Allow USB debugging? dialog. Tick Always allow from this computer on your own machine.
4. On the computer, check the connection:

adb devices

You should see:

List of devices attached
R5CT1234ABC	device

unauthorized means you did not accept the prompt. offline usually means a bad cable or port, or an adb server from an old SDK.

adb ships with the Android SDK Platform-Tools. If Android Studio is installed it lives in ~/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools on macOS or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk\platform-tools on Windows. Add that folder to your PATH. New to the Android toolchain? Our Android setup for Capacitor apps covers it.

Turn on wireless debugging (Android 11 and later)

Wireless debugging removes the cable. Your computer and phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and some corporate or hotel networks block device-to-device traffic.

1. In Developer options, switch on Wireless debugging and accept the network prompt.
2. Tap Wireless debugging to open it, then Pair device with pairing code. Keep this screen open.
3. On the computer, pair using the IP address and port shown in the pairing dialog:

adb pair 192.168.1.42:37145
# Enter pairing code: 482913

4. Connect using the IP and port shown on the main Wireless debugging screen (a different port from the pairing port):

adb connect 192.168.1.42:41827
adb devices

Android Studio also has Pair Devices Using Wi-Fi in the device manager, which shows a QR code you scan from the Wireless debugging screen.

The port changes every time wireless debugging restarts, so you will repeat adb connect after reboots. Pairing itself is remembered.

On Android 10 and earlier, use the older method: connect once by USB, run adb tcpip 5555, unplug, and adb connect <phone-ip>:5555.

Run your Capacitor app on the device

With the device listed in adb devices, the Capacitor CLI can build and install directly:

bun run build
bunx cap sync android
bunx cap run android --list        # show connected devices and emulators
bunx cap run android --target R5CT1234ABC

For a faster loop, use live reload so the app loads your dev server over the network:

bunx cap run android -l --external

The phone needs to reach your machine’s IP for this to work.

To read native logs while the app runs:

adb logcat | grep -i -E "capacitor|chromium"

And to debug the WebView, open chrome://inspect in desktop Chrome while the debug build is running. Debug builds of Capacitor apps enable WebView debugging by default.

Troubleshooting

Build number tapping does nothing. You may be tapping the wrong field (for example Android version instead of Build number), or the device is managed by an organization. Some Xiaomi devices need you to tap OS version, not Build number.

Device missing from adb devices.

adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices

Then try a different cable and a port directly on the computer instead of a hub. Switch the USB mode notification to File transfer.

Windows does not see the phone. Install the OEM USB driver (Samsung, Xiaomi and others publish their own) or the Google USB Driver from the SDK Manager for Pixel devices.

INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE. The installed app was signed with a different key (for example a Play Store build versus your debug build). Uninstall it first: adb uninstall com.example.app.

INSTALL_FAILED_USER_RESTRICTED on Xiaomi. Enable Install via USB in Developer options.

Wireless debugging keeps turning off. Android turns it off when you change Wi-Fi network. Some battery savers also stop it. Keep the phone on the same network and charging during long sessions.

Unauthorized after updating Android Studio. The adb key in ~/.android/adbkey changed. In Developer options tap Revoke USB debugging authorizations, reconnect and accept the prompt again.

How to turn developer options off

1. Open Developer options.
2. Toggle Use developer options (or Developer options on Samsung) at the top to off.

The menu may stay visible on some devices, and individual toggles can keep their last value even when developer options is off. To hide the menu completely, go to Settings > Apps > Settings > Storage and clear storage for the Settings app. That resets other settings preferences too, so it is rarely worth it.

Before handing a test phone to someone else, also tap Revoke USB debugging authorizations so old computers can no longer connect.

Security notes

• USB debugging lets an authorized computer install apps and read app data from debuggable builds. Do not accept the RSA prompt on public charging stations or computers you do not trust.
• Some banking and payment apps refuse to run while developer options or USB debugging are on. Turn them off on your personal phone when you are done.
• Never ship a release build with android:debuggable="true". Capacitor release builds are not debuggable by default.

Frequently asked questions

How do I enable developer options without a Build number?

Every Android phone has a Build number, but some brands rename or move it. On Samsung, open Settings, About phone, Software information, then tap Build number seven times. On Xiaomi HyperOS, tap OS version, and on older MIUI tap MIUI version. If you still cannot find it, type build number in the Settings search bar. See Build number missing for work profiles and restricted users.

How many times do I tap Build number on Android 14 or 15?

Seven times in a row on Build number (or OS version / MIUI version on Xiaomi). After the third or fourth tap, Android usually shows a countdown toast. Enter your device PIN, pattern, or password when prompted, then open Developer options from Settings.

Where is Build number on Samsung?

Settings > About phone > Software information > Build number. Tap it seven times, confirm your PIN, then find Developer options at the bottom of the main Settings list.

How do I pair wireless debugging?

Turn on Wireless debugging in Developer options, open it, and choose Pair device with pairing code. On your computer run adb pair <ip>:<pairing-port>, enter the six-digit code, then adb connect <ip>:<debug-port> using the address shown on the Wireless debugging main screen (not the pairing port).

Can I enable developer options on a work phone?

Usually not without IT approval. Managed devices block the Build number gesture or show This action is unavailable. Use a personal or dedicated test handset for adb and USB debugging.