To turn on Developer Mode in Windows 10, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > For developers. Select Developer Mode, then select Yes. You need to be an administrator.
Applies to: Windows 10. Keep in mind that Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. Security updates now come only through the Extended Security Updates program, which stops on October 12, 2027.
What Developer Mode does
Developer Mode lets you install and test apps that don’t come from the Microsoft Store, and turns on extra tools for building apps. Most people don’t need it. Only turn it on if you’re writing apps or an app’s instructions ask you to.
Apps you install this way aren’t checked by the Store, so only install apps from people you trust.
Turn on Developer Mode
- Select Start > Settings > Update & Security.
- Select For developers on the left.
- Select Developer Mode.
- Read the message and select Yes.
Windows may download a small package for the developer tools. Wait until it’s done.
Other settings on the For developers page
The same page has shortcuts to settings that developers often change. You can use them without turning on Developer Mode:
- File Explorer: show file extensions, hidden and system files, and the full path in the title bar.
- Remote Desktop: allow Remote Desktop connections to this PC. It only works on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education.
- PowerShell: let local PowerShell scripts run without being signed, while scripts downloaded from the internet still need a signature.
Turning on Developer Mode also lets you create symbolic links without running as administrator, and adds Device Portal and Device Discovery, which let you manage the PC from a browser on your network.
Turn it on with a command or Group Policy
If the Settings switch is grayed out, or you set up several PCs, you can turn on Developer Mode another way. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock" /t REG_DWORD /f /v "AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" /d "1"Change the last 1 to 0 to turn it off again. On Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise or Education, you can use Group Policy instead: open gpedit.msc, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Package Deployment, and enable Allows development of Windows Store apps and installing them from an integrated development environment (IDE).
Either way, reopen Settings > Update & Security > For developers to confirm Developer Mode now shows as on. If a work policy sets it, the switch appears locked.
Turn off Developer Mode
Go back to Settings > Update & Security > For developers and turn Developer Mode off (or choose Microsoft Store apps on older versions of Windows 10).
If Developer Mode won’t turn on
- “Developer Mode package failed to install.” Windows downloads a small extra package when you turn it on. Check your internet connection and try again. On a work PC, your organization’s update settings may block it, so ask your IT team.
- The setting turns itself off. A work or school policy may be resetting it. Look for Some of these settings are managed by your organization at the top of the page.
- An app still won’t install. Developer Mode doesn’t skip every check. The app may need a trusted certificate installed first, or it may be built for a different version of Windows.
Frequently asked questions
I can’t select Developer Mode. Why?
You may not be an administrator, or your work or school may control it. Check whether your account can run a program as administrator in Windows 10, or ask your IT team.
Do I need Developer Mode to install Linux?
No. Linux runs through WSL, which has its own setup: installing WSL (Linux) on Windows 10.
Do I need it to run virtual machines?
No. Virtual machines need virtualization turned on in Windows 10 instead.
Is it safe to leave Developer Mode on?
It’s safe if you only install apps you trust, but it does lower some protections. If you turned it on for one task, turn it off again when you’re done.
Will Developer Mode slow down my PC or stop updates?
No. It doesn’t change performance, and Windows Update keeps working as usual.
Is it the same in Windows 11?
Mostly. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System and open For developers. On newer versions of Windows 11, this page is called Advanced. Then turn on Developer Mode and select Yes. The rest of this guide works the same way.
Does Developer Mode cost anything?
No. It’s a free setting built into Windows 10.
Most people don’t need Developer Mode to add an app file; installing an MSIX app on Windows 10 works without it. Writing Java apps also takes the JDK installed on Windows 10.
Each option on the For developers page is described in Microsoft’s Settings for developers reference.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.