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How do I enable developer options on shield?

Published in Shield Developer Options 3 mins read

To enable developer options on your NVIDIA SHIELD device, you need to follow a simple procedure to unlock this hidden menu, which provides access to advanced system settings for debugging and customization.

How to Enable Developer Options on NVIDIA Shield

Activating the Developer Options menu on your SHIELD device involves tapping the build number multiple times, a common method for unlocking these settings on Android-based devices.

Step-by-Step Guide to Activating Developer Options

Follow these steps to enable the developer mode:

  1. Navigate to Settings: From your NVIDIA SHIELD's home screen, go to the main Settings menu.
  2. Access About SHIELD: Within the Settings menu, scroll down and select About SHIELD. This section provides information about your device's software and hardware.
  3. Tap Build Number: Scroll to the very bottom of the "About SHIELD" screen until you find Build Number. Tap on this item several times rapidly. You will see a small pop-up notification indicating your progress (e.g., "You are now 3 steps away from being a developer."). Continue tapping until you see the message, "You are now a developer!"

Accessing and Utilizing Developer Options

Once you've unlocked developer mode, a new menu called Developer Options will appear in your SHIELD's Settings. You can find it typically under the Device Preferences or System section in the main Settings menu, depending on your SHIELD's software version.

Essential Developer Setting: Stay Awake

One particularly useful setting within Developer Options, especially for NVIDIA SHIELD users, is Stay awake.

  • How to Enable: Go to Settings > Developer Options and toggle on Stay awake.
  • Benefit: This setting prevents your SHIELD device from turning off or going into standby mode after a period of inactivity. This is particularly useful for tasks like long-duration app testing, media server functions, or ensuring continuous access without interruption.

Other Useful Developer Settings

While the "Stay awake" feature is highly recommended for SHIELD users, the Developer Options menu offers many other settings that can be beneficial for advanced users:

  • USB Debugging: Enables your SHIELD to communicate with a computer via USB, allowing for app development, debugging, and sideloading applications.
  • Animation Scales: You can speed up or disable window, transition, and animator duration scales to make your SHIELD's interface feel snappier.
  • Mock Locations: Allows you to manually set a false GPS location for testing location-based applications.

Why Enable Developer Options?

Enabling developer options provides a gateway to advanced system configurations not available to regular users. It's primarily used by app developers for testing and debugging, but it also offers powerful tools for enthusiasts looking to customize their device's behavior, optimize performance, or troubleshoot specific issues.

For more in-depth information on Android TV development and settings, you can refer to the official Android TV Developer Guide.