Enabling developer mode on the Chromebook device itself allows owners to do more things with their Chromebooks, including installing their own builds of Chrome OS, using the Canary channel, and even installing Linux / Ubuntu for a double-booting Chromebook.
The following are methods to enable developer mode on a Chromebook. Remember to back up all information and settings on cloud storage, as enabling developer mode erases all the contents of the Chromebook. CNET also warns that the process takes up to 20 minutes to complete.
Turn On the Developer Switch
Some Chromebook models come with a developer switch that is off by default. According to the Chromium Project, the switch can be turned on/off by the user once they find it - the switch is said to be in a location not easily accessed by a user.
The switch may be a physical switch located underneath the Chromebook's battery, which will require a user to remove the battery before turning the switch on or off. It may also have a dedicated switch with a screw-on cover, which protects the user from accidentally wiping all their data clean by turning the switch on.
Enabling Through the Recovery Mode Window
Devices without a physical switch may use a method discussed on CNET and Pocketables: enabling developer mode through the Recovery Mode window. The process is simple, but once enabled, the Chromebook will display a warning message stating disk verification is turned off every time the user boots it before the device starts up completely. This is easy to deal with - just wait 30 seconds until the device boots normally.
To enter Recovery Mode, press the escape and refresh buttons simultaneously, then press the power button. This will reboot the Chromebook into Recovery Mode, and a yellow exclamation point will appear on the screen. Press Control+D, and a red exclamation point will appear. The device will ask for a confirmation to continue the process. Press Enter, and wait for the device to reboot. A setup process will appear once the device reboots - after completing this, the user will have Developer Mode enabled already.
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