What is Developer Mode
new mode in iOS 16 and watchOS 9 that enables common developer workflows
disabled by default, requires you to explicitly enroll the device into Developer Mode
enrollment persists across reboots and system updates
setup can be automated
only required for local development
Most common distribution and testing flows do not require Developer Mode:
Test Flight
Enterprise (In-House) distribution
App Store
Why Developer Mode?
Developer features are being abused in targeted attacks
Most people do not need to use developer feature by default
Using Developer Mode (when and how to use)
When to turn on Developer Mode
Turn on developer mode if you need to:
Run and install Development signed applications
Includes applications signed using a Personal Team
Debug and instrument your applications
Automate testing
How to turn on Developer Mode
Requires to connect your device to Xcode for the Developer Mode menu item to appear on the iPhone
iOS 16 beta releases will have the menu item always visible for the time being
Developer Mode controls are in Settings.app/Privacy & Security
Turning on Developer Mode requires that you reboot your device
Once the reboot is completed, you can run your app onto your device
Automation flows
Only devices without passcodes can be automatically enrolled into Developer Mode
macOS Ventura ships with
devmodectlthat can enable Developer mode for:a single device that you have already connected (Single device one-off mode)
all devices that you plug in (Streaming mode)
To change/enable devmodectl mode, run devmodectl in your cli:
$ devmodectl streaming