In this post we will be talking about what are the options that Android offers you in its Debug or debugging mode, which offers a series of tools that will be used to correct errors of our system and some other things.
What are the Debug Mode options on my Android device
If you use a mobile with Android system, you should know that it is a very powerful operating systemIn addition, it brings many interesting options for those people who like to experiment a little with the optimization of their mobiles and devices.
Basically Debug mode enables developer options so that there can be communication at this level between the device that uses Android (mobile or tablet) and the computer, which will also use specialized software such as Android Studio to be able to use the developer tools and that these take effect on the device.
What is the function of Android Debug Mode?
As we have mentioned, this mode offers the user the power to use the developer tools on the device, however there are also functions that are not necessarily to modify the kernel of the operating system, but that if are extremely useful and that otherwise could not be done. Among them we can say that in Debug mode we can:
- Format or update a system partition.
- Install a firmware updated.
- Give special permissions.
- Copy all types of files from the computer to the device via USB.
What developer options does Debug Mode have on Android?
Among the functions most commonly used by most users who make use of Debug mode we can mention three that are essential and are very useful.
USB debugging
This function is hidden by default from the end userSince it is designed for the use of programmers, it works as a connection channel via USB between the computer and the device without having to be rooted. To activate USB debugging you must follow the following steps:
- Access the setting of your device.
- Look for the option called “About this device”.
- Find the section “Build number” and press on it at least 10 times.
- You will see a notification that says “You are already a programmer”.
- You will notice that a new section called “Developer options”.
- Enter “Programmer Options”, locate the option “USB debugging“and activate it.
- The system will ask you if you really want to activate this option, answer yes.
If you did all the steps correctly, then you will be able to connect your device to the computer and you will be able to use all the developer tools via Android Studio or any of its modules, since it is not necessary to have the complete environment installed but the necessary tools depending on what you want to do with your device.
Control permissions
Although most of the permissions that you need to give to the apps can be done from the Android environment, there are certain adjustments that you can make in a more controlled way in Debug mode.
Using ADB Shell you will be able to give orders to your Android system by means of text commands. One of them is that you can provide special permissions to different applications to make interface changes in your system, one of the most used is: adb Shell pm Grant com.nameof.application and in the following command line type: android.permission.WRITE.SECURE_SETTINGS
With this Command what we will be doing is allowing the application that we have mentioned to have special controls in our system, so it is important that we use these commands with caution and be totally sure that the application to which we are giving permissions is reliable and safe.
These commands are very powerful, another example is that we can force our device to activate the dark mode through an ADB Shell command, we can use the command “settings put secure uinightmode 2“, as this function cannot be activated from the standard user interface.
Device inspection
The debug mode through its tools also offers a file explorer that allows you access to the root of the system, so locating files or compilations that you want to edit will be something that you can do that the usual file explorer will never allow you.
To access this tool you must enter the tab “Device File Explorer” via Android Studio and select the device of all those that you have connected that you want to explore. Here you will be able to see all the files on your device and you will be able to navigate through them just as you normally do in a common file explorer.
You can also copy, paste, or create new files in the different locations where you are. It is important to mention that the path to explore the files of the applications that are inside the internal storage of your device it is: data / data / app_name /, while the files that are stored on an external device such as a micro SD that you have installed on your mobile will be: sdcard /
How do you disable developer options on Android?
If you want to deactivate the developer options for security reasons or simply because you consider that it is not necessary to have them active for the use you give to your mobile, just follow the following steps:
- Go to the settings from your mobile.
- Choose “Developer options“.
- Uncheck the box called “USB debugging“.