How to Turn On (and Off) Developer Options on a Motorola Phone

Developer options is a hidden Settings menu used for things like USB debugging, animation speed and app testing. On a Motorola phone you unlock it by tapping the Build number seven times, and you can switch it off again at any time.

Quick steps: Settings → About phone → Device identifiers → tap Build number 7 times. To turn off: Settings → System → Developer options → switch off.

Turn on Developer options

  1. Motorola Home screen with the Settings app highlighted
    Step 1

    Open Settings

    Unlock your phone and tap the Settings app (the gear icon) on the Home screen or in the app drawer.

  2. Motorola Settings list with About phone highlighted
    Step 2

    Tap About phone

    Scroll down and tap About phone. On some models it is inside the System section — tap System, then About phone.

  3. About phone screen with Device identifiers highlighted
    Step 3

    Tap Device identifiers

    In About phone, tap Device identifiers.

  4. Device identifiers screen with Build number highlighted
    Step 4

    Find Build number

    Scroll to Build number, usually near the bottom of the list. It shows a string of letters and numbers.

  5. Device identifiers screen with the You are now a developer message
    Step 5

    Tap Build number seven times

    Tap Build number seven times quickly. A countdown shows how many taps are left, and after the seventh tap you will see “You are now a developer!”. Enter your PIN if asked.

Turn off Developer options

  1. Motorola Home screen with the Settings app highlighted
    Step 1

    Open Settings

    Unlock your phone and open the Settings app.

  2. Motorola Settings list with System highlighted
    Step 2

    Tap System

    Scroll down and tap System.

  3. System settings with Developer options highlighted
    Step 3

    Tap Developer options

    In System, tap Developer options.

  4. Developer options screen with the Use developer options switch highlighted
    Step 4

    Switch it off

    At the top of the Developer options screen, turn off the Use developer options switch.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to turn on Developer options on a Motorola phone?

Turning it on is safe and does not change anything by itself. Only change settings inside it if you know what they do — some options can affect performance, battery life or security. Turn it off when you no longer need it.

Where is Developer options on my Motorola phone?

After enabling it, go to Settings > System > Developer options.

How do I enable USB debugging on Motorola?

First enable Developer options using the steps above, then go to Settings > System > Developer options and turn on USB debugging.

Does turning off Developer options reset its settings?

Yes. Switching off Developer options returns its settings to their defaults, so your phone goes back to its standard, secure configuration.

Still having problems? It may be a hardware fault. Check the Motorola spare part prices for your model, or compare battery and display replacement costs.

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Steps and screenshots based on Motorola's official Developer options tutorial. Steps can vary slightly by model and Android version.