Where Developer Options is on Xiaomi: Detailed Guide 2026

Developer Options on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a hidden menu with advanced settings that allows you to fine-tune the operation of the MIUI operating system. Here you can activate debugging over USB, change the interface animation, enable options for testing applications and even overclock the performance of the device. However, by default, this section is hidden from users to prevent accidental changes in critical parameters.

If you’re looking for where Developer Options is on Xiaomi, it’s important to understand that it needs to be unlocked through a special sequence of actions. The activation process is the same for most models – from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13 or 14). In this article, we will detail all the ways to enable the developer mode, explain the purpose of key options and warn about the possible risks of changing them.

Why is Developer Options Hidden by Default?

Xiaomi, like other Android device manufacturers, hides the developer menu for several reasons:

• 🔧 Protection against accidental changes: certain parameters (e.g, OEM Unlocking or USB Debugging can cause phone malfunctions if activated without understanding the consequences.
• 🛡️ Data security: Options like Stay awake or Disable permissions monitoring reduce malware protection.
• ⚙️ Difficulty for beginners: Most users don't need to manually adjust kernel settings or graphical rendering.

However, access to Developer Options is required to:

• 📱 Unlock the bootloader before the custom firmware ROM.
• 🔌 Connections to PCs through ADB debug.
• ⚡ Speed up interface animation (reduced transition time between screens).
• 📊 Testing performance through hidden tools.

⚠️ Warning: Changing settings in Developer Options without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable phone operation, overheating or even a breeze (complete failure). GPU rendering on weak chipsets (e.g. Redmi) 9A) will cause lags and hovers.

How to enable Developer Options on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

The process of activating the developer mode is the same for all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the POCO X5 Pro, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and Xiaomi 13T.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to About Phone (usually at the bottom of the main menu).
3. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row.
4. After the notification “You became a developer!” return to the main menu of Settings.

Now, a new section will appear in the Settings list — Additional → For Developers (or Advanced Settings → Developer Mode in MIUI 14). On some models (e.g., POCO F5), the path may look like Settings → System → Additional → Developer Settings.

Check the battery power (minimum 30%)

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (to load drivers when debugging)

Make sure there are no important unsaved data on your phone

Remember the password from the Mi Account (required to unlock the bootloader)-->

If nothing happens after 7 clicks:

• 🔄 Try tapping faster – sometimes the system does not have time to register touches.
• 📱 Make sure you are clicking on the Version. MIUI, Not the Android version or the device model.
• 🔧 Some of the majors (e.g., global) MIUI EU) You may need to press 10 times.

Where is Developer Options after activation?

Once you've successfully turned on the developer mode, you'll need to find it in the settings menu. MIUI:

If you do not see the Developer Options section after activation:

1. Check if it is hidden in the search for settings (the icon of the magnifier at the top of the screen) – enter the request “Developer Mode”.
2. Make sure you don’t have a MIUI Lite installed where some of the features are removed.
3. Update MIUI to the latest version – there could be a bug with the menu display in the old builds.

MIUI 14

MIUI 13

MIUI 12.5

MIUI 12 or older

I don't know.-->

Top.-5 Useful options in Developer Options for Xiaomi

Once you open the developer mode, you'll get dozens of customizations, but most of them are for testing and debugging, and we've selected the 5 most useful options that ordinary users will need:

1. Debugging by USB (USB Debugging - Necessary to connect your phone to your PC via ADB (For example, for custom firmware installation or data recovery, note: only enable this option when necessary and disable it after use to avoid vulnerabilities.
2. Reducing the values to 0.5x or disabling (Animation off) will make the MIUI interface noticeably faster, especially useful on devices with a weak processor (for example, Redmi 9C).
3. Background process limit: Limiting the number of applications running in the background (for example, to 2-3 processes) will increase battery life, but can lead to a reboot of messengers.
4. GPU-acceleration (Force) GPU rendering) Forced use of a graphics processor for rendering 2D-Useful for gaming, but can drain the battery faster 20-30%.
5. Stay awake: The screen will remain on when charging, convenient for watching videos or using your phone as an alarm clock, but shortens the life of the device. AMOLED-display.

⚠️ Attention: Option OEM Unlocking allows you to unlock the bootloader, but its activation resets all data on the phone and requires binding to the Mi Account. Without this step, it is impossible to install custom recovery (for example, TWRP) or LineageOS firmware.

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If after changing the settings, the phone began to slow down, return all settings in Developer Options to the default values (reset to default button in the upper right corner of the menu).

What if Developer Options disappeared after the update?

Sometimes, after the MIUI update, the Developer Options section disappears from the settings menu, for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Reset: When you upgrade through Recovery or reset to factory settings, the developer mode is turned off.
• 📦 Installation of lightweight firmware. In some regional assemblies (for example, in India), some functions are removed.
• 🐞 The bug is in the firmware. MIUI 14.0.3 for Xiaomi 13 was a bug that hid the menu after the reboot.

Decisions:

1. Repeat the activation procedure (7 taps according to the MIUI version).
2. Check for updates through Settings → Software Update.
3. If the problem persists, reset (Settings → About Phone → Reset), but note that this will delete all data.

On some models (such as the POCO X3 NFC) after upgrading to Android 13, the path to Developer Options changes. If you don't see the section in your usual place, search by settings.

Dangerous settings in Developer Options: what not to touch

Some of the options on the developer menu can permanently disable the phone or make it vulnerable to attack, and we've compiled a list of no-go options for beginners:

It is especially dangerous to change the parameters associated with:

• 🔧 The core of the system (e.g, CPU usage GPU driver version).
• 📡 Mobile data is always active (which can increase traffic consumption).
• 🔒 Disable permissions monitoring disables permission control for applications).

⚠️ Warning: If you accidentally activate the Don’t Keep Activities option, all apps will close immediately after you fold.This will make the phone virtually unusable – return the setting to the Off state.

How to turn off Developer Options on Xiaomi

If you no longer need access to the developer mode, you can deactivate it.

1. Open the settings → Additional → for developers.
2. In the upper right corner, press the switch (ON/OFF).
3. Confirm the disconnection in the window that appears.

After that, the Developer Options section will disappear from the settings menu, and to return it, you will have to re-tap the MIUI version.

If you want to completely reset all the changes made in developer mode:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (not to be confused with Reset to factory, which deletes data!).
3. Confirm the action.

This will return all parameters (including animation, background processes, and debugging) to default values.

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Turning off Developer Options doesn’t reset previously changed settings. To get everything back to factory settings, use Reset to default within the developer menu or completely reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Developer Options on Xiaomi