Is debugging mode safe?

A debugger is a program that allows you to step through another program one line at a time. This is very useful when trying to identify incorrect code and analyze how a program “flows” .

Trustwave recommends that mobile devices should not be set to USB Debugging mode . When a device is in USB Debugging mode, a computer connected to the device can read all data, run commands, and install or remove apps. The security of the device settings and data could be compromised.

In a typical day, you should be developing in Debug mode . Most languages insert extra checks into a debug mode application. These spot more bugs but tend to slow down the application a bit. Yet you must also do siginificant testing of Release mode as part of your development process.

Honestly, unless you’re a developer, you probably don’t need to leave USB Debugging enabled all the time. Enable it when you need to use it, then disable it when you’re finished . That’s the safest way to handle it.