Warden

Free and open-source Android app

Keep Developer options. Keep your banking apps.

Warden switches off Developer options, USB and wireless debugging, and accessibility services while the apps you pick are open, and puts everything back the moment you leave.

Download APK

Android 8.0+ · No root needed

Real settings, switched for real.

Some apps refuse to run on a phone set up for development.

Banking, payment and wallet apps, trading apps, government and ID apps, and a few games won't open while Developer options, USB debugging or an accessibility app is on. Turning those off by hand every time, and back on afterwards, gets old fast.

How it works

Set it up once. After that you just use your phone.

  1. Pick the apps to watch

    Choose them from a searchable list, and choose what to switch off.

  2. Open one as usual

    Warden really switches those settings off. The app sees a clean phone because it is one.

  3. Leave, and it's all back

    When you leave or the screen turns off, Warden restores the exact previous state. Anything that was already off stays off.

What it switches off

All three by default, or only the ones you pick.

  • USB and wireless debugging

    adb over USB and Wireless debugging, switched off together.

  • Developer options

    The main Developer options switch.

  • Accessibility services

    Every enabled service, or only the ones you choose.

Built to put things back

Warden changes real settings, so getting them back matters more than anything else.

  • Exact restore

    The previous state is saved and put back as it was, and every change is checked by reading it back.

  • Crash-safe

    The snapshot is saved before anything is switched off, so a crash, force stop, reboot or update never strands a setting.

  • On-device self-test

    Switches each setting off, checks it and puts it back, so you know your phone cooperates.

Also in the app

  • Protected launch widget

    For apps that check the instant they open: settings go off first, then the app opens.

  • Pause

    For 15 minutes, an hour, or until the screen turns off.

  • Quick Settings tile

    Turn the monitor on or off from the notification shade.

  • Activity log

    The last 20 sessions, including anything that failed.

  • Light on battery

    Only checks the app in front while the screen is on.

  • Private by design

    No internet access, no analytics, no cloud backups.

Set up once

Warden needs one permission that only adb can grant. The Setup card in the app walks you through every step.

  1. Install Warden

    Download the APK and open it on your phone (Android 8.0 or later).

  2. Grant the permission once

    From a computer with adb, over USB or Wireless debugging:

    adb shell pm grant dev.abdulsamad.warden android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

    No computer? On Android 11 and later, Shizuku can grant it on the phone; Setup shows you how. Either way the grant survives reboots and updates.

  3. Finish in the app

    Allow usage access, keep Warden running, pick your apps, then tap Test. Setup adds any extra steps your phone needs.

Full setup guide

Questions

Is it safe?

Warden only changes settings you could change yourself in Android's Settings. It saves the previous state before changing anything, checks every change by reading it back, and restores after a crash or reboot. The code is open source.

Does it hide or fake anything?

No. Warden really switches the settings off while the app is open. Nothing is spoofed, hooked or hidden from other apps.

Do I need root?

No. One adb command, or Shizuku on Android 11 and later, grants the permission once. Warden can't help with apps that also check for root or a modified system.

An app still complains. What now?

A few apps check the instant they open, before Warden can react. Add a Protected launch widget for that app under Apps to watch, close the app fully, then always open it from the widget instead of its own icon.

Why does my phone warn when I install it?

Android may warn about an app installed from outside the app store that asks for WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS and QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES. That's expected for Warden. It has no internet access at all.

Will it drain my battery?

No. Warden checks which app is in front only while the screen is on and something is being watched. Otherwise it idles, and it never runs an accessibility service of its own.

Which phones does it work on?

Android 8.0 and later. Some phone makers block parts of this or stop apps in the background, so run Test on this device once on every new phone. Setup detects your phone and shows the extra steps it needs.

How do I get updates?

Download the new APK from this page and install it over the old one. Your settings and the permission stay. For automatic updates, add Warden to Obtainium.

Check your download

Every release is signed with the same key, and Android refuses to update Warden with an APK signed by any other.

APK SHA-256
Listed on the latest release.
Signing certificate SHA-256
96:D1:02:37:48:EA:FD:44:1A:E6:CE:88:72:AA:D9:79:30:6A:37:B8:56:4A:39:6F:08:C4:3C:E8:DB:41:06:A4

Check the certificate with apksigner verify --print-certs warden.apk, or on the phone with AppVerifier.