Developer mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a hidden feature of Android that allows you to access advanced settings of the system, with it you can speed up the interface animation, debug applications through ADB, enable debugging on USB for firmware or even unlock the bootloader. But by default, this option is hidden: Google and Xiaomi hide it so that ordinary users do not accidentally change critical settings.
In this article, you will find the latest instructions for MIUI 14/15 (Android 13/14), including features for different models from the flagship Xiaomi 13T Pro to the budget Redmi Note 12. We will also discuss why the developer mode may not turn on, how to turn it off and what settings should be changed first. If you plan to sew your phone, test software or just want to speed up the system, read on.
Why you need a developer mode on Xiaomi
Many users mistakenly think that this mode is only useful for programmers, in fact, it will be useful for ordinary owners of Xiaomi smartphones:
- 🚀 UI speed: You can turn off or reduce the animation of transitions between screens, making the phone visually faster.
- 🔧 Debugging by USB: mandatory for firmware through Fastboot, unlocking the bootloader or working with ADB.
- 📱 Relocation: Some features (such as Google Pay) may not work without changing region to region EEA or Global.
- 🔄 Forced activation GPU-Acceleration: useful for gaming and heavy-duty applications.
- 🔒 Unlocking OEM: It is necessary for custom firmware installation (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience).
However, there are risks. Some settings can lead to unstable phone operation, overheating or even a "brick" (breaking the firmware). For example, turning on the option Do not turn off the screen while charging on a constant basis reduces battery life, and changing the Dalvik parameters without knowledge can cause reboot cycles.
⚠️ Attention: Configure Background Process Limitation in the Developer section may cause instant messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) to stop receiving notifications.
Step-by-step: how to turn on the developer mode on Xiaomi
The activation process is the same for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12/13/14/15, but may vary slightly depending on the shell version.
- Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen or in the application menu).
- Scroll down and select About Phone (on some firmware - About Device).
- Find the MIUI version line and tap it 7 times in a row. After 3-4 taps, a pop-up will appear, "There are 4 steps left to become a developer!"
- Keep pressing until you see the message: “You’ve become a developer!”
- Go back to the main Settings menu, and now a new section will appear, Additional (or Advanced Settings), and there will be a Developers section.
If nothing happens after 7 taps, check:
- 🔄 You're just tapping the Version. MIUI, Not the phone model or Android version.
- 📱 On some firmware (for example, POCO Launcher) the path may be different: Settings → System system → The phone.
- 🔒 If you have restrictions (such as Child Mode or corporate policy), the developer mode may be blocked.
☑️ Check before activating the developer mode
On some models (such as Xiaomi 12S Ultra or Redmi K50 Gaming), after activating the developer mode, you may need to enter a password from your Mi Account for confirmation, a security measure to prevent unauthorized access to system settings.
Where to find the developer settings after switching on
Once activated successfully, the Developer Form can be hidden in different locations depending on the version of MIUI.
| MIUI version | The path to settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12/13 | Settings → Additional → For Developers | On some firmware, the section is called Advanced Settings. |
| MIUI 14 | Settings → About the phone → Additional → For developers | You may need to scroll down. |
| MIUI 15 (Android 14) | Settings → System → For Developers | New menu design, section is brought to the upper level |
| POCO Launcher | Settings → System → About Phone → MIUI Version (7 taps) → Return to Settings → More | The path may differ on custom firmware |
If the Developer section doesn’t appear even after 7 clicks, try:
- Reboot the phone.
- Clear the Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Clear the cache).
- Update MIUI to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in new builds).
⚠️ Note: On corporate firmware phones (such as those issued by the company to employees), the developer section may be blocked by Android Enterprise policies, in which case it can only be turned on after resetting to factory settings or through a factory-based application. ADB superuser.
Top.-5 Useful settings in developer mode for Xiaomi
Now that you’ve accessed the hidden settings, let’s take a look at the most useful options to change (but be careful!):
- ⚡ Accelerating animation: The scale of window animation → 0.5x Or off. The scale of transition animation. → 0.5x Duration of the animator → 0.5x This will make the interface visually faster, but can cause twitching on weak phones (e.g. Redmi). 9A).
- 🔄 Enforcement of use GPU: Option Forced Use GPU-Acceleration causes the render system to 2D-It's good for gaming, but it increases battery consumption.
- 📶 Change of network with 5G on 4G: If you have communication problems, in the Mobile Network section you can manually select the network standard (LTE only), disable VoLTE or VoWiFi.
- 🔒 Unlocking OEM: Unlock option OEM It should be activated before unlocking the bootloader (TWRP) or the kernel will cause error.
- 🔋 Background process limitation: You can set a limit on the number of applications running in the background (Standard limit, Maximum 2 process, etc.) useful for battery saving, but can break notifications.
💡
If after changing the animation, the interface began to “brake”, return the default values (1x) or turn off Hardware acceleration in the developer settings.
Some options may not be available on your phone, such as the Xiaomi Pad 6, which does not have mobile network settings, but has advanced display options (e.g., sRGB Color Mode for accurate color reproduction).
What to do if the developer mode is not turned on
Sometimes users find that after 7 clicks on the MIUI version, nothing happens.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| No notification after 7 taps | System glitch or cache settings | Clear the Settings app cache or restart the phone |
| The developer section disappeared after the update | Resetting settings when upgrading MIUI | Repeat the activation procedure (7 taps according to the MIUI version) |
| When you click, you write, "You're not a developer." | Restrictions are active (parental control, MDM) | Disable restrictions or reset your phone to factory settings |
| The MIUI version is inactive (grey) | Phone in Safe Mode or Guest Profile | Reboot your phone or exit guest mode |
If nothing helps, try to turn on the developer mode through ADB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (if it was already enabled).
- Open the command line on your computer and type: adb shell settings put global development_settings_enabled 1 adb shell am broadcast -a com.android.settings.APPLICATION_DEVELOPMENT_SETTINGS
- Reboot the phone.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB requires installed drivers and enabled debugging on USB. Incorrect commands can cause a system to crash. If you are not sure of your actions, you should contact the service center.
How to turn off the developer mode on Xiaomi
If you no longer need advanced settings or want to hide them from outsiders, there are two ways to turn off developer mode:
Method 1: Through settings
- Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
- In the upper right corner, press the switch (it should turn grey).
- Confirm the disconnection by clicking Turn Off in the pop-up window.
Method 2: Through resetting settings
If the first method did not work (for example, due to a system glitch), you can reset the MIUI settings:
- Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
- Select Reset all settings (not to be confused with Reset to factory – it will delete all data!).
- Confirm the action.
After the reset, the Developer section will disappear, but all your data (photos, apps, contacts) will remain in place.
What happens if you drop your phone to factory settings?
Security: What developer settings are best not to touch
Some of the options in the Developer section can seriously damage the phone, and here is a list of options that you shouldn't change without a clear understanding of the consequences:
- 🚫 Turn off the absolute volume level – can cause distortion of the sound in the headphones.
- 🚫 Do not save actions - disables the transaction log, which prevents debugging.
- 🚫 Imitation of secondary displays – can cause artifacts on the screen.
- 🚫 Disable permission checks – makes the system vulnerable to malicious applications.
- 🚫 Enable strict mode - flashing screen when booting the processor annoying and does not bring practical benefit.
Also, avoid changing the following parameters:
- Dalvik and ART (Android Virtual Machine) settings can lead to a cyclical reboot.
- Developer Wi-Fi settings (such as Aggressive Wi-Fi switching to mobile) impair connection stability.
- Background check options affect the operation of background services.
💡
If you're not sure what the setting is, you should leave it alone. Most of the options in developer mode are for testing and debugging, not for everyday use.
On some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu), some of the dangerous settings are hidden or blocked for change, and this is done specifically to prevent accidental breakage.