How to enable Galaxy S6 developer options (and S6 edge)

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• Is there a way go turn off developer options ?

  • Yes, you can hide the developers option again in Settings--Applications--Application manager--All -settings, tap clear data.

    • I heard that data (included file, application, pix, music, ... file) will be clear also.
      Is that true?

      • No, it only clear some settings. It should NOT affect your files and apps.

        it is different from factory reset Galaxy S6.

        • Thank you! Very clear.

      • To hide Developer Options, I cant find Clear Data in the following "Settings–Applications–Application manager–All -settings, tap clear data." ?!

        • Is it grayed out?

• the Color Scheme setups they have are pretty cool.
  Go to Simulate Color Space in your developer options and can can your color scheme. Using various 3D Live wallpapers and Galaxy s6 Themes, Can see some really cool animations, effects, and colors. S6 Edge has best developer options setup of all android devices to date , Hopefully android builds new color codes from The Stimulated Color Space to use in Android Studio! Happy Developing all!

• Limit background processes,,i find that i brings down the RAM usage , should i keep it on , to solve the RAM issues that the S6 has been having

  • Usually it is not necessary. Do you really face the RAM issues?

    Galaxy S6 is actually very aggressive in RAM management.

• mine is around 85% , , i always hit the smart manager to close down the apps , and i have shut off some back ground stuff as well , i maintain it well , so when i saw the Limit background processes i hit that , and seems to lower the RAM issues ,, and lower the battery usage as well . ,,i do not plan on making any apps, i just love exploring new things ,, ,,,now as a developer , would that use more DATA , on my LTE 4G ?

  • You should NEVER clean ram with smartmanager. The usage reported includes cached memory. In short, clean memory only cause problems. You should reboot the phone and don't use it to clean memory.

    If the phone works as expected, don't mess it.

    For the data usage, it depends on sync settings and apps. Enabling developer options unlikely consumes more data.

• My RAM was also unnecessarily high. Always hovering around the 85% mark and sometimes as high as 92%. Enabling developer mode and limiting processes to 4 has brought the RAM down to 52%. Thats a massive drop. I still think it's an issue that should be looked at in the next firmware update though.
  Thanks for the info guys

  • Unless you can feel the phone is sluggish, you should not worry about the RAM usage.

    The memory "usage" reported includes cache memory, which are ready for re-use at any time. All un-used memory are wasted. Cached memory can make you phone more agile.

    Of course, occasionally some bugs or poor-written apps may ruin the beauty....

• So I clicked the build number button alot and the words popped up saying I changed something. I don't developed or use my phone for anything other than talk text n social media. Did I just ruin my phone or what?

  • No, if you don't change the settings under developer options, nothing will be changed. If you enable some of the options, you need understand the meaning of these items.

• Does turning on the developer mode affect the battery? Because since I turned it on, I've been having problems with my battery life and it also takes a lot longer to charge as well.

  • it depends on what you turned on in developer options.

    If you didn't change the settings under developer options, it should not affect your battery life.

    You should check the detailed battery usage.

• After i downloaded 5.1.1 update on my s6 edge the wallpaper motion effect is not working however it's on so can the developer option fix it?

  • No settings in the developer options for the motion effects of wallpaper.

    Did you use the stock wallpaper?

• I enabled "developer options" Checked USB debugging on. When I connected a cable it comes back with "Charger connected".

  • What do you want to do?

    Did you use USB cable you got with your S6?

    • No I used a cable that I have used in the past with other Samsung Galaxy phones. I switched to the cable that came with the S6 and now I can see the files on the S6. Why would it make a difference what cable is used? Isn't a USB cable a USB cable.

      • probably you did not insert the cable tightly before.

        there are basically 2 types USB cables: one is for charging only and the other is for data and charging. There are some differences in the internal wiring. The "normal" USB cable is for data+charging.

        But your problem is NOT caused by this. USB cable with Samsung smartphones should be capable of data. Only some handphone shops may sell some cheap charging cables.

• I did everything you suggested and I still can not see my files on my PC. My PC will not detect my phone. Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks.

  • Did you install SamrtSwitch program on your PC?

    • Thank you for responding. Yes,I did install Smart Switch on both my phone and computer but during the installation process it asks to connect the phone but it never sees the phone so it gets stuck on the install

      • When it ask you to connect the phone to the PC, you need unlock the phone.

        Also, please use the USB cable given in the the S6 box.

        • Yes sir, the phone is unlocked and I used the cord that came with the phone in the box. It's the fast charge cable. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. All I'm trying to do is copy my pictures and my music onto my pc. Thanks

        • After the phone is connected to the PC, you need unlock the phone screen once. Did you try other USB ports on the PC?

        • Hi I have the same problem! Tried everything, even change the USB port but still my PC couldn’t detect it. Please help! Thanks!

          P/S : I accidentally replied to other thread lol I meant this one

        • Did you install Samsung USB driver? You can install SmartSwitch on the PC. Samsung USB driver for Galaxy S6 is included in SmartSwitch.

• In samsung s6 edge , i m in the developer options but i cannot find OEM enable settings in developer options
  Can u please help where can i find it

  • In some Samsung devices, OEM unlock is not available in developer options. The reason is unknown.

  • What does this oem setting do

    • OEM unlock? It's for you to flash the phone by temporally unlocking the bootloader. But it will not work on some phones.

• In Galaxy s6 after enabled the 'Do not keep activities' it cannot be turned off. After turned it off and minimize the Settings then re open it, the 'Do not keep activities' is turned on again. How to turn it off? Thanks!

  • First, do not change settings in developer options unless you know what you are doing. They will not solve any battery/ram problems.

    You can turn it off, then tap back (not home) button until you exit settings. You can also reboot the phone after closing settings.

    • I do need to turn it on for my app dev testing. I tried to turn it off and force to exit the settings. But when restart the settings in the 'Developer options" the the ‘Do not keep activities’ is turn on again.

      • You can clear cache and clear data for Settings in application manager as detailed in this guide.

        • tried to clear cache and clear data for Settings, after that the developer options disappeared but if reenable the developer options the 'dont keep activities' is turned on automatically, which means as long as the developer options is there it is turned on. This only happen to my Galaxy s6. Not sure if any Galaxy s6 user has the same.

        • After clearing cache and clear data for Settings. You need also clear cache partition.

• Can I affect the volume playback level using this method? My phone sucks when it comes to playing it on portable Bluetooth Speakers, and I've tried a lot of apps, to no avail

  • No, the developer options are not for solving such problems.

    If the output volume is too low, you can visit local Samsung service center. They can adjust the volume for you.

    Do NOT use apps to change volume by yourself. This may void your warranty and damage the phone.

    • Hi I have the same problem! Tried everything, even change the USB port but still my PC couldn't detect it. Please help! Thanks

• Hi. I have deleted by accident my albums in the gallery. I wanted to retrieve the photos so badly. I did everything as instructed and allowed USB debugging on my galaxy s6. However, when I try to connect it to a data recovery software on my computer, it says usb debug settings are not found. Please help me. I'm so desperate to retrieve my photos. huhu

  • Did you install Samsung USB driver? You can install SmartSwitch (usb driver will be installed automatically with smartswitch).

    When you connect S6 to the PC, you should see something on the phone screen, and follow the instructions to enable usb debugging.

    Good luck with the recovery.

    You would have not counted on your luck if you have enabled backup in Photos apps. It is never too late to backup, backup and backup......

• Enabling the "Do not keep activities" option doesn't seem to stick. As soon as I exit the options screen this option is disabled. Any thoughts? (Galaxy S6 Edge).
  The rest of the options seems to be persistent.

  • it should only reset after a reboot (or clear data).

    anyway, do you really need this feature? Most of the developer options only makes your phone slower, not faster. These options are mainly for developers to test apps in some extreme conditions.

    • had same problem that the 'Don't keep activities' setting does not stick. Tried clear dat a and cache to make the 'Developer options' not showing. But after re-enabled the 'Developer options' (by tap multiple times on the build number), the 'Don't keep activities' is still not stick. This is only observed on Galaxy s6 (Edge). For me I do need this setting for help app dev testing.

      • In previous comments, you said the don't keep activities option is always on, and you cannot turn it off. Now, do you get the opposite issue?

        Some developer options are not persistent. After a reboot (or a few reboots), some options will be reset.

        Anyway, if clear cache, clear data, and clear cache partition do not solve the issue, you probably have to reset the phone.

        • I am a developer, therefore I need these options to stick. The 'Do Not Keep Activities' option is disabled by default and i can't seem to be able to change that. Every time I tick that box and do anything else (click back, switch to the app that I am testing and so on) it gets cleared. It is the same device as @Lanny Ford has and I guess it is just broken on this specific device.

        • it can be due to specific firmware. Normally, it is cleared only after a few reboots.

          anyway, you should get a Nexus device. There will be less problems on such features.

• I did install the SmartSwitch but still couldn't detect it. I'm transferring my files via DropBox now sigh.

  • Not sure. You should check the device manager in your PC after connecting the phone. Also, remember to unlock the screen.

• I am trying to recover some lost pictures on my Samsung S6. I go into developer mode but my USB debugging option stays grayed out (I cant turn it on). Can any help

  • Reboot the phone, and don't connect the phone to the PC. Then try again.

• Hi, I managed to enable the developer option on Samsung Galaxy s6 edge plus but the USB debugging option is on grey. So can enable USB debugging. Also my android studio can't see it . Can you please help ?

  • I am having the same problem

  • Did you enable Knox? If Knox is enabled, USB debugging will be disabled.

    • The USB debugging is disabled even after I uninstalling Knox. Can you help me fix it.

      • Backup the phone and try a factory data reset.

• Where is knox, how do you disable/turn knox off and then do you turn knox back on and do you do this

  • Knox is mainly for enterprise users to create separate container. If you didn't enabled it, you can forget it. For most users, it's not necessary to use it.

    Another possible cause of disabled USB debugging is connected USB cables. You should try to check it when the phone is not connected to the PC.

    Sometimes, it can be caused by other p other or settings. In this case, you can reboot the phone to see whether you can enable it.

    Please note, if you root the phone or using non-official ROM, some options may also disappear or disabled.

• Hi. Just wanna know if activating my developer options on my samsung s6 edge will put my phone to harm? I mean, do i put my phone to risk of getting viruses once activated? Thanks for the response. Appreciate it.

  • No, but it's not necessary to enable developer options if you are not sure why you need them.

    • Thanks. But i only want to activate it mainly cuz i just want to speed up the animations, transitions, etc. Its safe, yeah? Not risky for viruses? *sorry im an android virgin lol*

      • It's safe to use develoer options in S6.

        If you only install sous from Google play store and Galaxy apps, you should never worry about virus. Of course, you should not click links in sms from unknown senders.

        • Sous?

        • In Android, actually it's not necessary to install any antivirus or clean apps. Just remember to get apps from play store or Galaxy apps. Don't click links from unknown senders in messages app.

• I was looking through the developer options just for fun to see what options existed, but i didnt mean to change anything, and I was planning on turning it back off but while i was scrolling through i accidentally activated the "Forced RTL Layout" which caused the message "unfortunately, system UI has stopped" and my screen to turn black and it wont stay on for more than a second before going black again. Is there any way I can fix this through my computer despite my inability to access anything on my phone?

  • Can you reboot your S6 into safe mode?

    • i have tried rebooting it in safe mode but i still cannot access my lock screen as i get the system ui error message as soon as the phone finishes starting up and get the same problem again with the same message appearing repeatedly

      • In that case, you probably have to factory data reset the phone. It will remove all of your settings and files.

• Can you tell us something we don't know ?
  Like how to activate "Do not keep activities" ?
  Here it get reseted as soon as I leave the screen... wich is unusual and anoying for a developper!

  • Not sure. Normally, the developer options are reset after a reboot.

    But anyway, you can set it, tap the home button (not back button) test your app, grab all logs. I guess it's reset only after you open the developer options, not after leaving the screen.

    For normal users, do not keep activities should never be on.

• I am trying to keep Mock Location on but turn Developer Options off momentarily but it keeps auto enabling itself. Is there any way to turn this option off?

  • What do you want to do and what's the actual problem with your apps?

    After turning it off, you can try to reboot the phone.

    • I want to keep the settings that are enabled the same ( so I dont have to enable everything all the time i turn developer mode on) but be able to turn the actual setting off. When I attempt this it automatically turns developer settings on which I do not want.

      • If you turn off developer options, all options should be off.

        Again, developer options are mainly for developers to test their apps. You probably should not waste time on the settings. Most apps don't need them.

• Does anyone know the default settings for developer options for s6

  • If you messed up the phone, it's better to reset it.

• my cousin have kinda broken my dad's phone becoz she wanna help my dad to get the pokemon from australia or sth by using fly gps ,and some how my dad is now no longer can play pokemon . he can still open pokemon go but it is failed to connect the location . We tried to find the developer option by the method above but it doesnt work , i want to ask if there is another method to open the developer option ? And please answer it as soon as possible since my dad has no patient to anything , thank you!!

  • This is the only way to show or hide developer options in S6. What did you get when tapping build number a few times?

    I think Ninantic is banning rooted devices or devices with spoofed GPS info on layered version of Pokemon Go app.

• I have a S6 edge and been taping a thousand times but still no dev options . Could it be blocked by the carrier ? Using SFR in France. Android 6.0.1

  • Unlikely the carrier may block it. Did you tap the build number field quickly?

• Hi, when I watched videos on my s6 they play fine, but when I screen mirror to my Samsung smart TV the audio is behind, can this be rectified in developer options?

  • i don't think there are any settings related to this.

    Did you try different videos? Chromecast often works better than the default Miracast (Samsung proprietary).

• How to solve you are not a devloper

  • When and how did you get the message?

• Hello guys,
  I wanna turn off Dev. Option, but i cant.
  I tried one way (Setting-Apps-Setting and there i couldnt find the Clear Data option).
  Please help...

  • Did you tap storage?

• What is the black cat head do? Tap Android Version few times fast, then hold on your last tap n you go to screen with a big "N" logo. Then long press or something n 1 of 2 things pop up. A "Do Not" symbol, a red circle with a red line thru it. And/or a cat's head pops up. What is this???? What does it do???

  • It is Android Easter egg in Android Nougat.

    You can also add it to the quick setting buttons.

• why not open softwar update option on galaxy s6 edge+??when I tap softwar update option.I not found any option.

  • It should check update vautomatically when you connect to internet. If there is an update, then it let you choose to download it or not. You can also choose when to install the update after it's downloaded.