Even the best Chromebooks are often seen as less capable and more restricted devices than a Windows laptop. However, developer mode on ChromeOS allows you to get a bit more out of your computer.

In developer mode, you gain the ability to install different Linux distributions for development, and you can also sideload Android apps, bypassing any restrictions with the Play Store. It's easy to see why this is something you might want to do, and we're here to help with that.

How to enable Developer Mode in ChromeOS

The first thing you need to know is that turning on Developer Mode wipes your login information and any locally stored data; it also wipes when you return to regular operating mode. So before you do anything, back up all data you want to keep. If you use ChromeOS full time, you can just back up everything to your preferred cloud storage service.

Enabling or disabling Developer Mode on your Chromebook wipes any login information and locally-stored data. Be sure to back up any important data before continuing.

Once you've done that, here's how to get to Developer Mode. Power off your Chromebook before proceeding.

1. Power on your Chromebook.
2. Press and hold Esc + Refresh on your keyboard, then press the Power button while you're on the sign-in screen or the home screen).
3. Press Ctrl + D on your keyboard. You'll see a message warning: You are attempting to enable developer mode.
4. Use the arrow keys to select Confirm to confirm you're entering Developer Mode and press Enter.
5. Press Ctrl + D again. Wait for your device to restart, at which time you'll see a You are in recovery mode screen.
6. Press Ctrl + D to dismiss the message.

Now you're all set with Developer Mode on your Chromebook. With this new power, you can choose to install different Linux distributions, sideload as many Android APKs as you want, and have plenty of new adventures with your Chromebook. You can also use it to access the developer shell if you want to actually do some Chrome-based development.

Drawbacks and risks of Developer Mode

As with all tinkering and modding, there are a few drawbacks and potential risks to enabling Developer Mode in ChromeOS. Here are a few potential issues with keeping Developer Mode on all the time:

• Security issues: ChromeOS is a fairly secure operating system with its sandbox structure. However, all of that goes out the window when you run Developer Mode. You won't have access to all the protection typically guaranteed by owning a Chromebook. This isn't a big deal if you're a power user and you know what you're doing, but it can be risky for the average user.
• Warranty issues: Since Developer Mode isn't officially recognized or supported by most OEMs or Google, you may void your Chromebook's warranty by enabling it. This isn't usually the case for more powerful Chromebooks (which OEMs recognize may be used by developers in practice), but it can happen with lower-end models.
• Losing your data: You must wipe your data completely each time you enable (or disable) a Developer Mode in ChromeOS. As you can imagine, this can be inconvenient if you want to just jump in and out of Developer Mode to play around.
• Warning screen: When using Developer Mode, you'll always get a warning screen when booting your device. This slows down the fairly impressive boot speed of most ChromeOS devices, which is a major appeal to some people in the first place.

How to turn off Developer Mode

So what if you enabled Developer Mode and don't like it? The good news is that disabling Developer Mode is just as easy. The bad news is that you need to wipe your data again. Make sure you back up your data again. Next, follow these steps:

1. Turn on your Chromebook or reboot it if it’s already on.
2. Press the up arrow to select Return to secure mode on the screen that says You are in Developer Mode.
3. Press Enter. This will perform a factory data reset and wipe the laptop clean.
4. Go through the Chromebook setup process again.

If you want to test out Developer Mode, make sure you're fully aware of the inherent security risks and back up all of your personal data. Developer Mode can add a layer of exciting extra functionality to your Chromebook or Chromebox — just make sure you use it with caution.