Setups for developers in Xiaomi: where to find, how to enable and use

Introduction: why you need to set up a developer on Xiaomi

The developer menu in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a hidden settings section that opens up access to advanced system features. Here you can activate USB debugging, change the interface animation, enable OEM to enable custom ROM firmware, or even emulate a secondary display. However, by default this section is hidden so that random users do not change critical settings.

If you plan to unlock the bootloader, install TWRP Or you can test apps through Android Studio, and you can't do without accessing those settings, but even for ordinary users, they can be useful, for example, to speed up animations or enable them. GPU-The key is to understand what each parameter is responsible for, so that the device does not disturb the stability of the device.

In this article, we will discuss how to find and activate the developer settings on any Xiaomi device (including models on MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS), what features are available there, and what to look for before changing the settings, and you will learn how to reset the settings if after experiments the smartphone began to work incorrectly.

How to enable settings for developers on Xiaomi

The process of activating the developer menu is the same for all modern Xiaomi smartphones, regardless of the model - whether it is Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 or POCO F5. The main condition: the device must work on MIUI or HyperOS (new firmware from Xiaomi).

Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen or in the app menu).
Scroll down and select About Phone (on some models it may be called About Device or Phone Information).
Find the MIUI Version (or HyperOS Version on new devices) and tap it 7 times in a row.
After the seventh press, a notification will appear: “You have become a developer!” or “Developer Mode is on!”

If you did everything right, basically the Settings menu will have a new section — Additional → Settings for developers (or just for developers, depending on the firmware version), and you can go in there and change the settings.

☑️ What to do if you can not turn on the developer mode

Check that you are using the line "Version". MIUI/HyperOS", not in other fields.Make sure you don’t have a screen lock password (some versions of MIUI require it)Reboot your smartphone and try again.If nothing helps, upgrade to the latest version.

Done: 0 / 4

Important! On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi Mi A1/A2 on pure Android One), the path may be different. In this case, look for the About Phone Build Number and tap on it.

Where to look for developer settings after activation

Once the developer mode is enabled, the new partition may be in different places depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS. Here are all the options:

📱 MIUI 12/13/14: Settings → Additionally. → Settings for developers
🔄 HyperOS (2026): Settings → The phone. → Additionally. → For developers (or right at the root of the settings)
🔍 Old versions MIUI (up to 11): Settings → Advanced settings → For developers
🤖 Android One (Mi A Series): Settings → System system → For developers

If you don’t see the section even after successful activation, try:

Use the search by settings (the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen) and enter the query "for developers".
Restart the device – sometimes the partition only appears after the reboot.
Update the firmware to the latest version (old builds may have display bugs).

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If you use developer settings often, add a shortcut to the home screen: press the Settings icon → select Shortcuts → Settings for developers

The developer section contains dozens of options, but most of them are for testing and debugging, and we have highlighted the most useful features that ordinary users and enthusiasts can use:

Function	What do you need?	Recommendations
USB debugging	It allows you to connect your smartphone to your PC to work with ADB, Fastboot or Android Studio.	Turn it on only when necessary and turn it off after use.
Unlocking the OEM	It is necessary to unlock the loader and install custom firmware.	Enabling this option resets all data on the device!
Animation scale (0.5x, 1x, 2x)	Speeds up or slows down the animation of the interface (transitions between screens, opening applications).	The 0.5x setup makes the smartphone visually faster, but can cause lags.
Keep the screen down.	The screen remains on when charging (useful for presentations or testing).	Use carefully - may lead to overheating or degradation of the matrix.
GPU-acceleration	Forcedly includes rendering via the GPU to improve performance in games.	It can increase battery consumption and heat the device.

You can also use this menu:

📱 Enable Touch Demonstration (shows touch points on screen – useful for recording video instructions).
🔊 Activate the absolute volume level (removes volume restrictions in Bluetooth headphones).
🔄 Change the Background Process (limits the number of applications running in the background to save battery).
🛠️ Include an error log to diagnose system problems.

📊 Which feature from the developer menu do you use most often?

USB debugging

Unlocking the OEM

Accelerating animation

GPU-acceleration

Other

What can be broken: risks and warnings

Changing the settings for developers can lead to unstable operation of the smartphone if you do not know what the item is responsible for.

⚠️ Warning! Turning on the Don't keep activities will cause all applications to close as soon as they're folded, making the smartphone virtually unusable!

🚨 Disable the check MIUI — It can disrupt the system applications.
🔧 Fictitious locations – will lead to malfunctions in the work GPS map.
📵 Turn off the absolute volume level – the risk of damaging speakers or headphones.
🔄 Forced app shutdowns can cause errors in Google services.

Also be careful with:

🔒 Unlocking. OEM — After activation, the smartphone will automatically reset to factory settings (this is a security requirement of Xiaomi).
📡 Modular region change – may result in network loss or problems with SIM-map.
🔋 Disabling battery optimization – reduce battery life.

What to do if after the changes the smartphone began to slow down?

If you notice lags or overheating after changing the settings in the developer menu, try to return everything to the standard values. If this did not help, reset the settings through Settings → About the phone → Resetting. In extreme cases, you may need to flash it through Fastboot.

How to Reset Developer Settings to Factory

If, after experimenting with the parameters, the smartphone started to work incorrectly (for example, notifications began to disappear, applications slowly open or errors occur), you can return all settings to standard values.

Method 1: Manual reset of individual parameters

Go to Settings → For developers and manually return all the items you changed to the original state.

Animation scale (set 1x)
Background processes (select the Standard Limit)
GPU-acceleration (unplug if you have switched on)

Method 2: Complete reset of the developer settings

If you don’t remember what you changed or if you changed too much, do the following:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Find the Settings app (the gear icon) and tap it.
Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
Confirm the action – it will reset all user settings, including the developer’s settings.

⚠️ Attention! Settings will also reset your personal preferences (wallpaper, sounds, screen brightness, etc.) Backing up before this operation will not help - system settings are not saved in backups.

Features on different models Xiaomi

While the general working principle of the developer menu is the same for all Xiaomi devices, there are nuances that depend on the model, firmware version and even the region of sale.

1. HyperOS devices (2026)

In the new HyperOS shell, which replaced MIUI, the path to developer customization has changed a little:

📲 Activation: Settings → The phone. → Information on POs → HyperOS version (stamp 7 times).
🔧 The section appears in: Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

New options have also been added to HyperOS, such as:

Memory optimization – management of background processes.
Performance mode – prioritizing resources for games.

2. Android One smartphones (Mi A1/A2/A3)

On Mi A series devices (which run on pure Android without MIUI), the developer menu is identical to standard Android:

📱 Path: Settings → System system → For developers.
🔄 There are no Xiaomi-specific features (e.g. Unlocking) OEM may be called differently).

3. Old models (Redmi 4X, Mi 5, etc.)

On devices with MIUI 8/9/10, the section may be called Developer Form or Advanced Settings, and some modern options may not be available, such as:

🔌 Debugging by USB (Safe – instead of standard debugging USB.
📡 Modem – for network diagnostics (removed in new versions).

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On devices for the Chinese market (with China ROM firmware), some features in the developer menu can be blocked or hidden.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❓ Why After Installing the Debugging USB The computer does not see the smartphone?

The problem may be the following: 🔌 Drivers not installed ADB or Mi PC Suite on PC. 📱 On the smartphone, a request for trust in the computer is not confirmed (appears when you first connect). 🔄 The developer's settings do not include a clause USB-Configuration (select File Transfer or MTP). Also check the cable – it should support data transfer (not all) USB-charging cables are suitable for ADB).

❓ Can I turn on the developer settings without resetting data?

Yes, activating the developer menu (MIUI/HyperOS taps) does not cause data loss, but enabling OEM unlock will automatically reset the device to factory settings is a Xiaomi security requirement to protect against unauthorized access.

❓ How to speed up the smartphone through the developer settings?

For visual acceleration of the interface, you can: Set the scale of animation on 0.5x (Or turn it off completely. GPU-rendering 2D-Limit background processes to 2-3 applications, but remember, this is not going to speed up the processor itself, it's going to make animations smoother. To really improve performance, it's better to optimize autoload and clear the cache.

❓ Why the Developer section disappeared after the update?

After major MIUI or HyperOS updates, the developer menu may disappear. To get it back: Repeat the activation procedure (7 taps according to the firmware version). If it doesn't work, reset the Settings app settings (as described above). In extreme cases, reset to factory settings (but this will delete all data).

❓ Is it safe to turn on "Unlocking" OEM" custom-fix?

Technically yes, but there are risks: 🔓 Unlocking the bootloader resets all data on the device. 🛡️ Installation of unofficial firmware can disrupt the work of Widevine L1 (Loss of quality in Netflix, Disney+ etc.). 📵 Some banking applications (e.g. Sberbank or Tinkoff) may stop working due to the SafetyNet trigger.If you are not an experienced user, it is better to refrain from unlocking or use official global firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.