Android parlor trick
Just a brief entry here….
Up to Android “Jelly Bean,” i.e. versions 4.1.x through versions 4.3.x, one of the cool things about Android was the (relative) ease with which one could do screen grabs. Those, of course, are essential to product reviewers. And so it was good to know that all one had to do was connect the Android device to a PC or Mac, fire up the Android SDK, click Applications > Development > USB debugging on, and grab those screens.
That’s what I wanted to do when I recently upgraded an Android tablet from “Ice Cream Sandwich” to “Jelly Bean.” Unfortunately, Applications > Development > USB debugging was no longer there, and there seemed nothing else that would allow access to the debugging mode. Google to the rescue.
Well, turns out that getting into Android debugging mode now involves a secret handshake. You go to About Tablet, then click on Build SEVEN TIMES. That enables the Developer options menu, where you need to click on USB Debugging. That’s about as non-obvious as it gets, and probably reflects Google’s efforts to keep all those hundreds of millions of Android users from hurting themselves by accidentally disabling their device.
That probably makes sense. I still believe one of the reasons why Linux never really made it big as an OS for the masses is because its creators insisted to leave the arcane technical underbelly more or less visible to all. As Android matures, Google can’t allow that to happen. Just like “View Page Source” has now vanished from easy view on all major browsers.
But it’s a good party trick. Next time you see a techie at a cocktail party or else, test him or her by innocently asking “How do I get into debug mode under Jelly Bean??”
Update 2016-08-30: To enable USB debugging in Android 5.1.x Lollipop, Settings>About Device. Tap Build number seven times.