Modern Xiaomi smartphones running the MIUI 12 shell provide users with advanced options for fine-tuning the system, which are hidden by default. The standard settings menu is focused on the mass user, so access to advanced features such as frame rate management, debugging applications or changing the behavior of the system when connecting to a PC is closed.
Activating this section does not require super-user rights (root) and is a completely safe procedure if you understand what you are doing. Enabling these options is often necessary to connect your smartphone to your computer to transfer files in ADB mode, reset network settings or force some Bluetooth features to be enabled. In this article, we will discuss in detail the activation process, the location of the hidden menu and discuss the main parameters that can be useful.
It's worth noting that MIUI 12 has undergone significant visual changes over its predecessors, which sometimes confuses users who are used to the old menu structure. However, the logic of the system triggers remains the same. You only need to perform a few sequential actions to unlock access to the engineering settings of your device.
Why You Need a Developer Mode on MIUI 12
The main purpose of the hidden menu is to provide tools for testing applications and debugging program code by developers. However, ordinary users can also find useful features here. For example, debugging over USB allows you to not only transfer data, but also use the phone as a high-quality web camera or control the screen from a PC through third-party utilities. Without activating this mode, the computer sees the device only as a drive or charger.
Another important feature is the management of interface animations. In the standard menu, you can only choose the scale of animation, but in developer mode, you can have a deeper setup of window transitions and response time, which allows you to visually speed up the system to make it more responsive, and you can force 4x MSAA to improve graphics in games, although this will lead to increased battery consumption.
And don't forget the diagnostics, because you can use this menu to look at the usage statistics of processes running in the background and force the services that consume resources to stop, and logging the system helps identify the causes of sudden reboots or freezes, providing detailed information about system errors.
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Developer mode is a powerful tool that gives full control over the behavior of the Android operating system, hidden from the eyes of the average user.
It is important to understand that changing certain parameters can lead to unstable operation of the device. For example, changing the minimum screen width (DPI) can make the interface unreadable, and turning off background processes will disrupt the work of messengers.
Step-by-step instructions for activating the hidden menu
The process of enabling the developer mode in Xiaomi with the MIUI 12 shell is unified and takes no more than a minute. You do not need special programs or a connection to a computer. All actions are performed directly on the smartphone screen through the standard Settings application.
☑️ Activation algorithm
The first thing you need to do is open the main settings menu, and usually the gear icon is on the desktop or in the notification curtain, and find the Phone section, which is usually at the top of the list, and that's where you get the basic information about the device model, the Android version, and the build number.
Inside the About Phone section, you need to find the MIUI Version line. In some regions or firmware versions, it may be called the OS Version or have a system logo. This line must be pressed quickly 7 times in a row. After the third or fourth press, the system will start counting down, telling you how many times you still have to click to become a developer.
⚠️ Note: If the device has a lock password or a pattern lock, the system will require you to enter it after the seventh press to confirm actions. After a successful series of clicks, you will see a Toast notification pop up, "You became a developer!". From now on, a new item will appear in the root settings menu, usually immediately under the "About the phone" section or in the "Advanced" group, in the "Developers" section". 💡If 7 clicks don't work, try pressing faster or at short intervals. Sometimes the system only responds to a specific rhythm of clicks. Where to find the menu after you turn on: navigation MIUI 12 After activation, many users are lost, as a new tab is not always catchy. In the shell. MIUI 12 menu structure may vary depending on the regional firmware version (Global, China, EEA). Most often, the item you want is located directly at the root of the settings menu, right below the Mi Account information and user profile block. If you don't see the "Developers" item on the home settings screen, try searching. At the top of the settings screen, there's a search bar with a magnifier, and you type in "developer" or "developer" and the system will redirect you to the menu, which is the fastest way to find a hidden option if it's lost among many other items. In some cases, especially on older devices that have been updated to MIUI 12, the menu can be hidden under the Additional Settings section. scroll down the main list and find this category. Inside it, among such options as "Language and input" or "Date and time", should be located the desired item. 📍 Main location: Main screen settings, just below "About the phone". 🔍 Alternative: The "Additional Settings" section at the bottom of the list. 🔎 Search: Use the search bar at the top of the settings screen. The developer menu interface is standard styled MIUI. At the top is usually a switch that allows one tap to deactivate all functions, and below is a list of dozens of items sorted by category: debugging, networking, input, drawing, and hardware acceleration. Once inside the menu, the user encounters a huge number of technical terms. Let us analyze the most useful parameters that can be safely changed to improve the experience of using. The first thing to look at is the Debugging section, which is where the USB Debugging switch is located. It allows the computer to interact with the phone at a deep level. The Drawing section contains the animation settings. The settings for Windows Animation Scale, Transition Animation Score, and Duration of Animation are set to 1x by default. Changing them by 0.5x or Animation Disable makes the interface visually faster, reducing the waiting time between actions. The "Inactive Applications" option here is to limit the number of processes running in the background, but other applications can be limited by switching the number of the memory. Parameter Function Recommended value Debugging by USB Allows debugging when connected to PC Off (if not used) Animation Scale Speed of rendering interface 0.5x (For speed) Background processes Limit background applications Standard limit Show touch visualization of taps on the screen Off (for screen recording) 📊 What is the most important thing for you? - Debugging USBI don't need this, but I'm also interested in the "Show Touch" feature, which when it's activated, you get white dots on the screen where you touch your finger, and it's useful when you create screencasts or training videos, so that the audience can see exactly where you're clicking. However, for everyday use, this feature is best kept off so that the points do not interfere with the view. Set-up debugging USB and work with ADB For advanced users planning to use the command line ADB (Android Debug Bridge, it's critical to set up access correctly. Just turn on the "Debugging by" switchboard. USB" It is also necessary to activate the item "Debugging by USB (When this optic is enabled, the system will issue a security risk alert, you will need to confirm the action, and possibly enter the phone number associated with the Mi Account for verification. This is protection against the fact that attackers do not get access to your data through the charging port in public places. adb devices adb shell wm density 400 After connecting to a computer on the smartphone screen, a request for debugging permission from this computer will appear. Be sure to check the key print RSA and click "Allow" by ticking "Always Allow from this computer" before entering confirmation each time. ⚠️ Warning: Never leave the debugging on USB, If you charge your phone frequently in public places (airports, cafes) it's a potential security hole through which you can access the file system, and you can also find the option "Select an emulation app" in the debugging menu. It allows you to choose which Bluetooth version (if there are more than one) you have installed, which is a rarely-changeable option, but it can be useful when testing specific hardware. Possible problems and ways to solve them Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users may encounter difficulties. MIUI" unresponsive. In this case, make sure you click on the version number, not the logo. Also try to speed up the clicks - the system may not have time to register too slow clicks as a series. Sometimes the developer menu disappears after rebooting the device. This is not a bug, but a feature of some builds of MIUI 12. If this happens, the procedure of 7 clicks will have to repeat again. To avoid this, some users use special launchers or shortcuts, but there is no regular way to "fix" the menu. What if the phone went into the reboot cycle? If after changing the data, try to boot the device, then you will return to the Reype, try to the device to the power, but to the device to the power supply button. Another common problem is that you can't transfer files over USB even after you've turned on debugging. In this case, check the cable. Cheap cables often only support charging. Also, in the developer menu, try switching "USB Default Configuration" to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). If you change the DPI (minimum width) and the interface becomes unreadable, don't panic. Try to blindly (touch) find the item "Reset" at the bottom of the developer menu or use Google's voice assistant, saying "Reset the developer settings and the main thing is to change the installations of the network settings, especially with the associated with the settings. Failure to set up can cause Wi-Fi connections to break or Bluetooth headsets to work unstable. MIUI 12 has a simple return mechanism. At the top of the Developer menu is a shared switch. If you turn it off, you deactivate all the changed settings and hide the menu from the settings. DPI), To completely reset all engineering settings to store-like, there is a separate button at the bottom of the list, often called Reset Developer Settings or Reset Settings. Clicking on it will return all default values without affecting your personal data, photos or apps. 🛡️ Do not turn on "Always active mode" GPS", If you don’t need constant tracking logic, it will put the battery down. 🛡️ Avoid enabling Strict Mode, which illuminates applications performing operations in the main stream in red. 🛡️ The "Do Not Turn Screen" feature in the developer menu can block autorotation globally. MIUI It may reset some of your custom developer settings, as new firmware versions often contain modified configuration files. After a major update, it is recommended to recheck the critical settings for you. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Will Xiaomi's warranty reset after developer mode is turned on? No, activating developer mode through the standard settings menu is not a violation of warranty terms. The guarantee can only be lost if you get a Root license or unlock the bootloader, which is a separate procedure. Can you delete the developer menu completely? You can't delete the system component, but you can hide it. To do this, just switch the switch at the top of the "Developers" menu to the "Off" position. After that, the item will disappear from the settings list until you again complete 7 clicks according to the version. MIUI. Why can't a computer see a phone even with debugging on? USB — It has to support data transfer, and also make sure that there's a window on the phone that asks for debugging permission, and you've confirmed it. USB In the notification curtain from "Charging only" to "Transfer of files (MTP)". Does the developer mode affect the speed of the game? It doesn't have a direct impact on CPU power. However, enabling the "4x MSAA" option can improve graphics quality in games that support OpenGL ES 2.0, but it will significantly increase battery consumption and heat the device. Turning off background processes can, on the contrary, free up resources for the game. Where to find the error log (Logcat) in MIUI 12? In the developer mode there is an "Error Report" or "Take bug report." After clicking, an archive with system logs is created, which is stored in the phone's memory. For detailed analysis in real time, usually a connection via ADB and the ger log commands on the computer.