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Every Android device has a secret “developer menu” that unlocks the true power of your device.
It can only be unlocked by tapping a hidden option seven times and is intended for software developers working on the device.
But it actually unlocks some useful features for everyday users, including making Bluetooth headphones sound better, forcing your screen to refresh faster for better responsiveness, and forcing unwilling apps to go into “dark mode.”
Once you unlock developer mode, it will remain unlocked on that device until you disable it (which you can do via a tab in the menu you unlock).
The developer mode unlocking process may vary slightly depending on the handset you are using.
Every Android phone has the option to unlock the developer menu (Shutterstock)
Tap the Build Number option seven times to unlock the menu (Photo Rob Waugh)
For most phone brands, go to Settings > System, then select About phone.
On Samsung and other brands, this is Settings > About phone > Software information.
Now tap the ‘Build number’ option (located at the bottom of the screen) seven times.
If it works, you’ll see a message that says “You’re now a developer.” (If you do it again, it’ll say, “You’re already a developer.”)
You have now unlocked the developer menu, which should appear in the previous menu (or find it under Settings > System).
Again, this may vary slightly by handset – if it’s not there, use the search bar in Settings to track it down.
There are a good number of options for you to play with here, although many of them are aimed at developers and you should only play with the ones you understand.
Below we have listed some of the more useful ones:
Make your screen smoother
Many Android devices use a dynamic screen refresh rate (limiting the number of times the screen refreshes to what is needed rather than the full capacity of the screen).
Forcing the peak refresh rate makes your screen smoother (Rob Waugh)
But if you want to enjoy improved touch sensitivity and smoother animations, you can force your screen to go to the maximum refresh rate.
Select the Force peak refresh rate setting in the Developer menu (but be aware that this will drain your battery faster).
Make headphones sound better
Codecs like LDAC deliver better sound (Rob Waugh)
One of the best things about Android compared to iPhone is the ability to use Bluetooth audio codecs that deliver better sound, such as Qualcomm AptX HD or Sony’s LDAC.
These provide sharper sounds than the standard Bluetooth codec.
You can force your handset to select a different codec from the developer menu under ‘Bluetooth Audio codec’ – or just see which codecs are available with paired devices.
If the options are grayed out, it means it won’t work on your handset.
Force dark mode
You can force apps to go into dark mode (Photo: Rob Waugh)
If you select dark mode, you’ll still find that some apps don’t play ball – the Override Force Dark setting forces all apps to go to dark mode.
Be warned, some won’t work perfectly as a result (i.e. you may not be able to do it
See which apps are taking up your RAM
Like the Task Manager on Windows, Running Services lets you see which apps are using a lot of RAM.
The menu shows how much each individual installed app is using, plus system processes.
You can stop apps from running from this menu, but that’s not a good idea as they may not work properly.
Keep your screen on permanently
Choose the ‘Stay awake’ option and your phone will never go to sleep as long as it’s charged.
If you want to keep track of election night or sports scores, this can come in handy, but be aware that it could damage your screen in the long run.
Turn off absolute Bluetooth volume
If you have a Bluetooth speaker or headset that isn’t working properly, this menu option may help.
Absolute Bluetooth volume is on by default, which means that your Bluetooth device and your phone have the same volume.
If your device’s Bluetooth volume is not working properly, disable this option and adjust it manually.