# Android Developer Options for Debugging and Development

DevFeed: [Android Developer Options for Debugging and Development](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/android-developer-options-that-you-probably-forgot-26009.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://medium.com/@DoesitPew/android-developer-options-that-you-probably-forgot-431e31d4c5fc?source=rss-2ffcf6104135------2>)

Author: Stacy Devino

Published: 2022-04-06T17:23:40Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Stories by Stacy Devino on Medium](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/stories-by-stacy-devino-on-medium.md>)

Topics: [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/debugging.md>), [Android Studio](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android-studio.md>), [Logging](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/logging.md>), [Mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mobile.md>), [feature flags](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/feature-flags.md>), [GPU](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/gpu.md>), [OpenGL](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/opengl.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [android-app-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android-app-development.md>), [android-studio](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android-studio.md>), [androiddev](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/androiddev.md>), [debugging](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/debugging.md>), [debugging-tools](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/debugging-tools.md>), [developer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developer.md>), [feature-flags](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/feature-flags.md>), [flutter](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/flutter.md>), [gpu](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/gpu.md>), [logging](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/logging.md>), [mobile-app-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mobile-app-development.md>), [opengl](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/opengl.md>)

## AI overview

This practical article reviews Android Developer Options useful to developers, including debugging apps, inspecting view attributes in Android Studio, verifying apps over USB, adjusting logger buffer sizes, enabling feature flags, and using GPU debug layers. It also covers tools for displaying touch input and gesture traces.

## Source excerpt

Sometimes, I think that we "Old Android Folk" forget to share and re-share the old magic with newer developers or just forget the old ways ourselves. Now we are all well past the ANT and Eclipse days, but there are tools that have remained highly functional or grown to be more useful over time. Or, in the light of new tech like ComposeUI, have gained new functionality not easily achievable any way else. 🤫 Let's talk about... Developer Options Beware, this article is a re-hash of existing content (see above) in a practical sense for practical devs that actually shows & explains. Not all options will show on all devices. You are now a Developer... But did you ever take a look at all the tools in there? 👀 Standard Debugging Tools Standard things everyone uses almost every day or should know Bug report shortcut -- For Bug reports ...a shortcut Verbose vendor logging -- (Vendor devices only) More complete logging in Logcat than would happen normally and can be useful for vendor interactions, fixing a vendor bug, or debugging an integration (*coughs in Samsung*) Enable view attribute inspection -- See View Attributes in the Layout Inspector in Android Studio Select debug app + Wait for debugger -- App won't start unless the debugger is attached in Android Studio, so you can debug things at startup without a crazy logcat to parse and false warnings. Verify apps over USB + Verify bytecode of debuggable apps -- Generally smart to make sure you don't load a dodgy app or general malware by accident (usually online) Logger buffer sizes -- Enable longer or shorter logcats (easier to parse longer ones and capture more events) Feature Flags -- Enable features normally hidden for most users, usually more useful on pre-release or experimental release builds with features to be enabled (features like PiP and onscreen notifications were originally tested this way) Enable GPU debug layers -- Enables Vulkcan validation layers for error checking (Mostly for mobile game developers not using OpenGL, tho