We’ve all done it: the very first thing you do when you get a new Android phone is unlock Developer Options and drop the animation scales from 1.0x to 0.5x. Instantly, your phone feels twice as fast. Apps snap open, multitasking feels fluid, and that artificial lag is completely gone.
But then, you try to open your banking app, a high-security crypto wallet, or a sensitive work app, only to be met with a dreaded security warning:
"Security Risk Detected: Developer Options are enabled. Please disable them to use this app."
It’s an incredibly frustrating ultimatum. Do you choose a snappier, faster user interface, or do you choose being able to access your money on the go?
Thankfully, you don't have to choose anymore. In this guide, we’re going to show you a permanent workaround using an open-source tool called CustomAnimator by Ahmet Can Arslan. You will learn how to set a custom animation scale and completely turn off Developer Options while keeping your lightning-fast UI.
Why Do Banking Apps Care About Developer Options?
To understand why this workaround is so great, you have to understand the security risk. When Developer Options are left enabled, your device leaves the door open for USB Debugging (adb). In the wrong hands, an authorized computer could sideload malware, extract app data, or simulate touches.
To protect your financial data, banking apps simply look for the system flag development_settings_enabled. If it’s on, they lock you out.
Our goal is to change the animation settings directly inside Android's Secure Settings layer, grant a tiny open-source app the right to handle it, and then flip that developer flag safely back to Off.
What You Need
- An Android phone.
- A computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) and a USB cable.
- The CustomAnimator app installed on your phone. You can grab the APK directly from the Official CustomAnimator GitHub Repository.
Step 1: Prepare Your Android Device
Before we touch the computer, we need to allow it to speak to your phone just this once.
- On your phone, go to Settings > About Phone.
- Find the Build Number and tap it 7 times until it says "You are now a developer!"
- Go back to your main Settings, search for Developer Options, and turn on USB Debugging.
- Connect your phone to your computer using a reliable USB cable.
⚠️ Crucial Step for Brand-Specific Phones:
Some manufacturers add extra security layers that block automated permission scripts. If you have one of these devices, change this setting before moving forward:
- OnePlus / Oppo / Realme (OxygenOS 16 / ColorOS): Scroll to the very bottom of Developer Options and turn ON "Disable system optimization".
- Xiaomi / Poco / Redmi: Turn ON "USB debugging (Security settings)" (right below the main USB debugging switch) and bypass the warning timers.
Step 2: Install ADB on Your Computer
Choose your computer's operating system below to get Android Platform Tools (ADB) running in seconds.
For macOS Users
The fastest way to install ADB on a Mac is via Homebrew. Open your Terminal app and run:
brew install android-platform-tools
(If you don't use Homebrew, download the official SDK Platform-Tools for Mac ZIP, extract it, and open Terminal inside that folder.)
For Windows Users
- Download the official SDK Platform-Tools for Windows ZIP.
- Extract the folder to an easy-to-find location (like
C:\platform-tools). - Click on your Windows start menu, type CMD (Command Prompt), and open it.
- Point the command prompt to your folder by running:
cd C:\platform-tools
For Linux Users
If you are on Linux, you can install ADB directly from your distribution's native package manager. Open your terminal and type:
-
Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install adb -
Fedora:
sudo dnf install android-tools -
Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S android-tools
Step 3: Link Your Computer and Phone
With your terminal or command prompt open, let's verify the connection. Run the following command:
-
Mac & Linux:
adb devices -
Windows (Command Prompt):
adb devices -
Windows (PowerShell):
.\adb devices
Look at your phone's screen immediately. A popup will ask you to "Allow USB debugging?". Check the box for Always allow from this computer and tap Allow.
When you run the command a second time, you should see your phone's serial number followed by the word device.
Step 4: Grant the Permanent Secure Permission
Now we are going to use the Android Package Manager (pm) to grant CustomAnimator the right to modify system animations without root access. Copy and paste the command for your OS:
- Mac, Linux & Windows CMD:
adb shell pm grant com.arslan.customanimator android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
- Windows PowerShell:
.\adb shell pm grant com.arslan.customanimator android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
Hit Enter. If the terminal simply jumps down to a blank new line without showing any errors, it worked perfectly!
Step 5: Set Your Animations and Lock the Door!
Now you can disconnect your phone from the computer. The hard work is done.
- Open the CustomAnimator app on your Android device.
- The permission error screen will be gone, replaced by a clean menu. You can now set your Window, Transition, and Animator scales exactly how you like them (e.g.,
0.5,0.25, or even completely custom values like0.35). - Once your phone feels perfectly snappy, go to Settings > Developer Options.
- Toggle the main "Developer Options" switch to OFF.
(Note: If you had to toggle "Disable system optimization" or "USB Debugging Security Settings" in Step 1, turning off Developer Options will automatically safely revert those too).
The Result?
Open up your banking app, Google Pay, or your corporate email. They will read the system flag, see that Developer Options are completely disabled, and grant you full access instantly. Meanwhile, your underlying animation scales remain set exactly where CustomAnimator put them.
You get a faster phone, maximum security, and zero app crashes. It’s the ultimate win-win for Android power users!
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