In this tutorial, we’ll show you multiple methods to enable or disable developer mode in Windows 11. We recommend reading this article to better understand what this feature is and who should enable it.
If you are a developer who builds your own applications on your PC, Windows 11 developer mode is for you. You will have additional rights to create, develop, and test your own software after you enable Developer Mode.
Windows 11 users normally install apps from the Microsoft Store, and Microsoft updates these apps regularly. To be honest, most users do not require custom apps because they are designed for a specific purpose.
If you have bought a new laptop or a PC with Windows 11 preinstalled, the developer mode in Windows 11 is disabled by default. However, if you wish to use this feature, we will show you several different ways to enable it.
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What is Developer Mode in Windows 11?
Developer Mode is a feature that lets developers sideload, install, and test third-party apps on Windows 11. Only developers and testers should use this feature since it enables them to create and test programs outside the Microsoft Store.
As per Microsoft, “If you’re using your computer for ordinary day-to-day activities (such as gaming, web browsing, email, or Office apps), you don’t need to activate Developer Mode, and in fact, you shouldn’t activate it.”
Also Read: 3 Ways to Remove OneDrive from File Explorer in Windows 11
When do you enable your device for development?
So, when should you enable developer mode on your Windows 11 device?
- If you’re writing software with Visual Studio on a computer for the first time, you will need to enable Developer Mode on both the development PC and on any devices you’ll use to test your code.
- If you are a developer looking to sideload, install, and test third-party apps on a Windows 11 PC, this feature is useful for you.
Is developer mode safe on Windows 11?
Can enabling Developer Mode pose security risks? Yes, your PC can be at risk if you enable it for development. The option to enable developer mode is provided for development purposes but also serves as a fundamental security measure to restrict exposure to harmful programs.
If you are going to enable your device for development, the best practice is to move all your personal data to a different PC and use the PC solely for developing apps.
You must exercise caution when you enable your device for development. If you have enabled it for testing, we recommend that you avoid downloading third-party apps from untrustworthy sources.
See Also: Enable/Disable End Task in Taskbar on Windows 11
How to Enable Developer Mode in Windows 11
Enabling developer mode in Windows 11 through Settings is the recommended and easy method. You can do that by following the below steps:
Step 1: Sign in to Windows 11 PC and open Settings by pressing Win+I
Step 2: Select System and now choose the option “For developers.”
Step 3: Under System > For developers, the first option that you see is Developer Mode. Move the toggle to the right to enable developer mode.
The following message appears on the screen.
Turning on developer mode, including installing and running apps from outside the Microsoft Store, could expose your device and personal data to security risks or harm your device. Turn on developer mode?
Click Yes to accept the message and activate developer mode. You can now sideload and install software and apps from any source once you have taken these steps.
Turn Developer Mode Off in Windows 11 Settings
To turn developer mode off via Windows 11 settings, perform these steps. Sign in to your Windows 11 PC and open Settings by pressing Win+I. Select System, and now choose the option “For developers.” Switch the toggle under “Developer Mode” to the left to disable it.
Turn on or off developer mode in Windows Registry
Another way to quickly activate the developer mode in Windows 10/11 is via registry. On the Windows PC, open the registry editor by running the command “regedit.exe“.
In the registry editor, navigate to the following path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock
Double-click the “AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense” DWORD and set the value to 1. This will activate developer mode on your Windows 10/11 PC.
To turn developer mode off in the Windows registry, all you need to do is go to the below registry path and double-click the “AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense” DWORD and set the value to 0.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock
Enable or Disable Developer Mode in Local Group Policy Editor
If the option to turn on developer mode does not work, or you receive the error message “Developer mode is disabled on this device by system policy,” we recommend that you enable developer mode using the Group Policy Editor.
You can enable developer mode in Windows 11 Home, but we recommend using Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise. Also, make sure you are an administrator to make the below changes.
Launch the local group policy editor by running the command “gpedit.msc“. In the GP editor, navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment.
Edit the policy setting “Allows development of packaged Microsoft Store applications and installing them from an integrated development environment.“
- Policy Enabled: If you enable this setting and enable the “Allow all trusted apps to install” group policy, you can develop Microsoft Store apps and install them directly from an IDE.
- Policy Disabled: If you disable or do not configure this setting, you cannot develop Microsoft Store apps or install them directly from an IDE.
To turn on the developer mode, select Enabled. Click Apply and OK.
If you wish to permanently disable the developer mode option in Windows 11, you can do that using the Local Group Policy Editor.
Launch the local group policy editor by running the command “gpedit.msc“. In the GP editor, navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment.
Edit the policy setting “Allows development of packaged Microsoft Store applications and installing them from an integrated development environment.” Select Disabled and click Apply and OK.
Fix: Windows 11 Developer Mode is greyed out
On some Windows 11 PCs, you may notice that the developer mode option is greyed out. If that is the case, you cannot enable developer mode. Listed below are recommended solutions that you can try to resolve this issue.
- The first requirement to enable developer mode on Windows is account permissions. If you are logged in with a guest account, you cannot activate the developer mode. You’ll need to be logged in with an administrator account on Windows 11 to enable or disable developer mode.
- If your Windows 11 PC is joined to an Active Directory domain, your organization may have restricted enabling developer mode via policies. To enable developer mode, request that your organization exclude your device from the group policy.
