How to access Android's cool, double-secret developer options
Not everyone has the programming skills or desire to be an Android developer, but thanks to an extremely well-hidden feature whose location...
https://hoamb.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-access-androids-cool-double.html
Not everyone has the programming skills or desire to be an Android developer, but thanks to an extremely well-hidden feature whose location I shall soon reveal, owners of Android devices running KitKat can access something called Developer Mode that includes a number of cool and otherwise inaccessible options.
Developer Mode used to be easy to find in Android’s Settings menu, but for some reason Google decided to bury it, presumably so device owners wouldn’t get too crazy. (So why not just remove it?)
It’s there, though, well off the beaten path.
Obsessed with mobile devices? Sign up for our monthly mobile newsletter here
To get to Developer Mode in KitKat (I’m using 4.4.2 on an HTC One), tap on Settings, About, Software information, and then More.
You should see a short list of items that includes “Build number.” This next part is like when there’s a secret room in a house that you find by pulling a certain book from the bookshelf. Here’s what you do: You tap “Build number” not once, not twice, not even thrice -- but seven times. When you’re done, your phone flashes a message: “You are now a developer.” This, without any certifications or actual coding skills!
Now, if you go back to Settings, you should see “Developer options” near the bottom of the menu. Tap it. Go ahead, you’re a developer now.
You’ll immediately see a message pop up -- “These settings are for development and testing purposes. Making changes may affect your phone’s performance. Please proceed with caution.” This warning is for mere mortals. You may proceed.
(Also, while we’re on the topic, do you know what else can affect your phone’s performance? Downloading KitKat! I’m just saying.)
So you’re in. And the first item on the list of Developer options – Desktop Backup Password – is a great feature for Android users who have backed up their device on their PCs or laptops. Tap on this feature and you can protect your backup password.
Android developer options screenshotDeveloper options provide ordinary Android users with superhuman strength.
At the top of the Debugging section of the Developer options menu is a companion feature to desktop backup called USB Debugging. By enabling this, users can back up their mobile data on computers using a USB cable. USB Debugging also can be used to install apps on an Android device without notification.
There’s one more feature on the main Developer options menu, but I want to leave it for last because it’s my favorite. At the bottom of the main menu, there’s an Advanced button that opens up a number of features. Most of these are best left for real developers (sorry, the dream is over), but there are a few that regular Android users might find helpful.
If you are into monitoring your phone’s performance, you can activate features that will flash a screen when apps perform long operations on the main thread (Strict Mode Enabled) and provide a screen overlay that will Show CPU Usage.
Or maybe you want to improve your device’s responsiveness. You can do this by tapping Background Process Limit and selecting how many activities you want your phone conducting out of sight. You can even select “No background processes.”
But it's back to the main menu for my favorite developer option, and perhaps the perfect feature for Android users troubled by our modern surveillance society. “Allow Mock Locations” is a way of getting off the GPS grid without giving up your phone. This feature literally allows you to fake your current GPS location.
Google provides a detailed explanation of using and testing mock locations. Android owners will also need to install a third-party fake GPS app (of which there are many) to create bogus locations. Let’s see the NSA try to track you now!
If all this gets to be a little too much and you want to turn in your developer credentials, there’s an On/Off toggle switch at the top right of the Developer options screen. Just turn it to “Off” and you’re back in Kansas.
Source : citeworld
Developer Mode used to be easy to find in Android’s Settings menu, but for some reason Google decided to bury it, presumably so device owners wouldn’t get too crazy. (So why not just remove it?)
It’s there, though, well off the beaten path.
Obsessed with mobile devices? Sign up for our monthly mobile newsletter here
To get to Developer Mode in KitKat (I’m using 4.4.2 on an HTC One), tap on Settings, About, Software information, and then More.
You should see a short list of items that includes “Build number.” This next part is like when there’s a secret room in a house that you find by pulling a certain book from the bookshelf. Here’s what you do: You tap “Build number” not once, not twice, not even thrice -- but seven times. When you’re done, your phone flashes a message: “You are now a developer.” This, without any certifications or actual coding skills!
Now, if you go back to Settings, you should see “Developer options” near the bottom of the menu. Tap it. Go ahead, you’re a developer now.
You’ll immediately see a message pop up -- “These settings are for development and testing purposes. Making changes may affect your phone’s performance. Please proceed with caution.” This warning is for mere mortals. You may proceed.(Also, while we’re on the topic, do you know what else can affect your phone’s performance? Downloading KitKat! I’m just saying.)
So you’re in. And the first item on the list of Developer options – Desktop Backup Password – is a great feature for Android users who have backed up their device on their PCs or laptops. Tap on this feature and you can protect your backup password.
Android developer options screenshotDeveloper options provide ordinary Android users with superhuman strength.
At the top of the Debugging section of the Developer options menu is a companion feature to desktop backup called USB Debugging. By enabling this, users can back up their mobile data on computers using a USB cable. USB Debugging also can be used to install apps on an Android device without notification.
There’s one more feature on the main Developer options menu, but I want to leave it for last because it’s my favorite. At the bottom of the main menu, there’s an Advanced button that opens up a number of features. Most of these are best left for real developers (sorry, the dream is over), but there are a few that regular Android users might find helpful.
If you are into monitoring your phone’s performance, you can activate features that will flash a screen when apps perform long operations on the main thread (Strict Mode Enabled) and provide a screen overlay that will Show CPU Usage.
Or maybe you want to improve your device’s responsiveness. You can do this by tapping Background Process Limit and selecting how many activities you want your phone conducting out of sight. You can even select “No background processes.”
But it's back to the main menu for my favorite developer option, and perhaps the perfect feature for Android users troubled by our modern surveillance society. “Allow Mock Locations” is a way of getting off the GPS grid without giving up your phone. This feature literally allows you to fake your current GPS location.
Google provides a detailed explanation of using and testing mock locations. Android owners will also need to install a third-party fake GPS app (of which there are many) to create bogus locations. Let’s see the NSA try to track you now!
If all this gets to be a little too much and you want to turn in your developer credentials, there’s an On/Off toggle switch at the top right of the Developer options screen. Just turn it to “Off” and you’re back in Kansas.
Source : citeworld
