Dev Mode

Use officially supported development mode to install homebrew apps and games.

On this page

Before You Begin

Please read every step carefully before proceeding.

What's Needed

  1. A computer or smartphone

Get Started

Get a Developer Account

  1. Visit webOS TV Developer, select "Sign In"

    webOS TV Developer Home

  2. You will be redirected to LG Account login page. If you don't have an account, select "CREATE ACCOUNT"

    LG Account Login

  3. You'll see a pop-up window. Select country and click "CONFIRM"

    LG Account Select Country

  4. Accept terms & conditions and click "AGREE"

    LG Account Terms & Conditions

  5. Input your email address and password, check required checkboxes, and click "CONFIRM"

    LG Account Create Account

  6. You'll receive an email to verify your email address. Click the link in the email to verify your email address.

    LG Account Verify Email

  7. Go back to the LG Account login page and login with your email and password

    LG Account Login

Now you'll be able to use this account to log in to Developer Mode app on your TV.

Install Developer Mode App

  1. Open LG Content Store, search for "Developer Mode"

    LG Content Store

  2. Select "Developer Mode" app

    Developer Mode App

  3. Click "Install" to download and install the app

    Developer Mode App Install

Enable Developer Mode

  1. Launch Developer Mode app

  2. Login to Developer Mode app with developer account

    Developer Mode Login

  3. Enable Developer Mode and wait for TV to restart

    Developer Mode Enable

Prepare for Device Setup

  1. Launch Developer Mode app again
  2. Ensure "Dev Mode Status" is ON
  3. Enable Key Server

Troubleshooting

Everytime I restart the TV, "Key Server" is disabled

Key server only needs to be enabled when you add the TV to ares-cli or webOS Dev Manager.

Key Server is enabled, but I can't add the TV to webOS Dev Manager

Make sure your TV and computer are on the same network. If you're able to ping the TV from your computer, then you may run into some issues caused by EULA acceptance. Try to do the following (source):

  1. Navigate on your TV to: settings/general/user agreements
  2. Uncheck each user agreement option which forces the TV to reboot. After which, any app you open will force you to re-check the EULA.
  3. Then open the developer mode app and click "Key Server".

Important Notes

  • Developer Mode has a time limit of 1000 hours. Once expired, apps installed via Developer Mode will be removed. You can reset the timer in the Developer Mode app.
  • You can only log in to one TV at a time with the same developer account. If you log in to another TV, the previous TV will be logged out, disabling Developer Mode.
  • When you add the TV to webOS Dev Manager, the IP you use may change. To prevent this, you can set a static IP for your TV.