Bambu Lab Developer Mode: what it is and how to enable it

Bambu Lab Developer Mode is a printer setting inside LAN Only mode that turns off Bambu Lab’s authorization checks, so OrcaSlicer, Home Assistant and other third-party software can control the printer over your network. While it is on, the printer cannot use Bambu Cloud.

Two different things share the name. Bambu Studio’s “Develop mode” is a slicer preference that shows hidden settings and has nothing to do with the printer; it is explained further down. Facts below follow Bambu Lab’s wiki, firmware release notes and the Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer source code as of November 7, 2026.

What is Bambu Lab Developer Mode?

Bambu Lab Developer Mode is an optional printer setting, available only in LAN Only mode, that switches off the authorization checks Bambu Lab added to its firmware in 2025. With it on, the printer accepts control commands from any software on your network (OrcaSlicer or Home Assistant, for example) but cannot connect to Bambu Cloud.

Bambu Lab’s firmware notes describe it this way: “When enabled, Authorization Control will be disabled, allowing the printer to accept all control instructions without verification.” Its integration guide says the mode “functions the same as in previous firmware versions”, that “third-party software will continue to work without any modifications” and that “user operations will remain unaffected.”

Bambu Lab’s guide says enabling it “will open the MQTT channel, live stream, and FTP, giving you full control over your printer and its network security.” The wiki’s port list gives the numbers: MQTT (the messaging protocol for control and status) on TCP 8883, FTP file transfer on TCP 990 and 50000 to 50100, and the video stream on TCP 322 or 6000. Keep those ports reachable only from your own network: Bambu Lab’s January 2025 post says users who choose this mode “assume full responsibility for securing their local network environment.”

On H2, P2S and X series printers the switch reads “Developer Mode (only for 3D printing)”. Bambu Lab’s LAN mode guide says the feature “only works for 3d printing parts”, and the H2D firmware notes say it “can be enabled in case of 3D printing.”

Why Bambu Lab added it

In January 2025 Bambu Lab announced firmware that checks whether control commands come from official or authorized software. Without authorization, third-party software can no longer start prints or control “movement, temperature, fans, AMS settings, and calibration”, in cloud mode or normal LAN mode. Bambu Lab says it added Developer Mode “based on community feedback” as the way out. The full story is in the Bambu Lab firmware controversy.

A rejected command shows up on the printer as HMS (Health Management System) error 0500-0500-0001-0007, “MQTT Command verification failed, please update Studio or Handy.” If you see it while using third-party software, Bambu Lab’s error page points you to Developer Mode.

LAN Only mode vs Developer Mode

Developer Mode is a switch inside LAN Only mode. It changes who may send commands and takes the printer outside Bambu Lab’s customer support.

Bambu Studio itself needs no Developer Mode. Setting up LAN Only is covered in how to run a Bambu Lab printer in LAN-only mode.

How do you enable Developer Mode on a Bambu Lab printer?

Turn on LAN Only mode on the printer, then switch on Developer Mode on the same LAN Only page and accept the Important Notice that follows. The switch needs firmware 01.08.05.00 or later on the X1 and 01.08.02.00 on the P1 series. The A1 and A1 mini need 01.05.00.00, and the H2D has it from 01.01.00.00.

1. Update the firmware. If the Developer Mode switch is missing, the printer’s firmware predates it. An offline printer can update from a memory card or USB drive, as described in updating Bambu Lab firmware offline.
2. Open the LAN Only page. On H2, P2S and X series printers, go to Settings, then LAN Only. On the P1P and P1S, open WLAN under Settings and select LAN Only Mode. On the A1 and A1 mini, open Settings and go to page 3 for LAN Only Mode.
3. Turn on LAN Only. On the P1 series, confirm with Yes; the option then reads ON. Note the access code shown there and the printer’s IP address, because third-party software asks for both.
4. Turn on Developer Mode. On the P1 series, press the scroll-down button after LAN Only is on to reach Developer Mode.
5. Accept the Important Notice. On H2, P2S and X series printers, tick “I confirm reading and understanding the Important Notice above” and select “Enable Developer Mode”. On the A series, tick the same box and select “Enable”. On the P1 series, scroll to the end of the notice and select Enable.
6. Check the switch. It turns green on touchscreen models; the P1 series shows ON.
7. Connect your software. Enter the printer’s IP address and access code in OrcaSlicer, Home Assistant or the tool you use.

Developer Mode and LAN Only are both switches on that page. Turn both off before using Bambu Cloud or Bambu Handy.

Developer Mode by printer

Does Developer Mode void the Bambu Lab warranty?

Bambu Lab’s warranty statement (last updated September 22, 2026) does not mention Developer Mode, which is part of Bambu Lab’s own firmware, not unofficial firmware. But the printer’s notice says that by enabling it “you accept full responsibility for any risks or consequences”, and Bambu Lab says it gives no customer support for the mode.

The notice an H2 or X series printer shows before you enable it reads, in full, as pictured in Bambu Lab’s guide:

If you enable LAN Only mode and turn on Developer Mode on your printer, it’s important to understand the risks involved: Developer Mode allows third-party software to control the printer, which means it can manage print jobs and process data. This can lead to potential problems such as print failures, irreversible printer damage, or data privacy issues. Bambu Lab cannot oversee or verify actions performed by third-party software. By using this Developer Mode, you accept full responsibility for any risks or consequences. Bambu Lab may provide updates to Developer Mode from time to time. We encourage you to check the wiki regularly for updates.

Bambu Lab’s January 20, 2025 post adds that it “will not be able to provide customer support for this mode, as the communication protocols are not officially supported.”

The warranty clauses that deal with firmware and operation exclude:

• damage “caused by the use of unofficial firmware and/or modifying/updating firmware with unofficial tools or methods”
• damage “caused by improper installation or operation of the device in violation of official documentation published by Bambu Lab, including but not limited to user manuals, operational instructions, product interface warnings etc.”
• a product “modified to significantly alter functionality or capability without the written permission of Bambu Lab”

None of them names Developer Mode or third-party software. Neither the warranty statement nor Bambu Lab’s Developer Mode pages say how Bambu Lab handles a claim on a printer that has run with the setting on. If that matters for your printer, ask Bambu Lab support in writing before you enable it and keep the reply. The full terms are summarized in the Bambu Lab warranty, and how makers treat modifications in general is in does upgrading void the warranty.

Does OrcaSlicer need Developer Mode?

Yes, to send prints straight to a Bambu Lab printer on firmware with authorization control. When Bambu Lab’s network plug-in refuses the connection, OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 shows a “Network Plug-in Restriction” notice:

To use OrcaSlicer with Bambu Lab printers, you need to enable LAN mode and Developer mode on your printer.

The notice goes on: “Developer mode allows the printer to work exclusively through local network access, enabling full functionality with OrcaSlicer.” OrcaSlicer’s 2.3.2 beta notes (February 14, 2026) say the same for the H2D and H2S: “Both LAN mode and dev mode must be enabled on the printer.” Since OrcaSlicer 2.5.0 alpha (October 16, 2026), the notice “shows once per connection, not every few seconds.”

Bambu Lab’s alternative is Bambu Connect, a separate Bambu Lab app that imports a sliced file and sends it to the printer with authorization on, in cloud or LAN mode. Bambu Lab lists it for Windows 10 and macOS 13 or later, with Linux “currently in development”, so on Linux Developer Mode is the remaining route. If the printer still will not connect with Developer Mode on, work through Bambu Lab LAN mode not working.

OrcaSlicer also has its own “Developer mode” checkbox, under Preferences, Developer. Like Bambu Studio’s, it unlocks extra slicer settings and does nothing to the printer. Since OrcaSlicer 2.4.0 alpha, an Expert mode sits between Advanced and Developer.

Home Assistant and other tools

The ha-bambulab integration for Home Assistant is a community project, not Bambu Lab software. Its documentation says: “All read functionality will continue to work, regardless of firmware version.” To keep write actions such as setting temperatures or moving axes on current firmware, it says “you must put your printer into LAN Mode, and enable Developer Lan Mode”. That costs Bambu Handy and remote monitoring. Setup is covered in Bambu Lab with Home Assistant.

What is Developer Mode in Bambu Studio?

Bambu Studio’s Develop mode is a slicer preference with no link to the printer setting. Ticked under Preferences, it shows slicer settings that stay hidden even in Advanced mode, such as Seam gap and Precise wall. It also adds a Calibration menu for Bambu Lab printers. It changes nothing on the printer itself.

How to enable developer mode in Bambu Studio

1. Open Preferences. On Windows and Linux, click the small arrow menu in the top bar and choose Preferences (Ctrl+P). On macOS, choose Bambu Studio, then Preferences (Cmd+,).
2. Go to the Other tab. In Bambu Studio 2.8 and 2.9 it holds a section titled Developer Mode.
3. Tick “Develop mode”. Bambu Studio keeps the setting after a restart, a change made in version 1.7.6.

Untick the box to turn it off; Bambu Studio then returns to Advanced mode. The same section holds “Skip AMS blacklist check”, a separate box. It turns Bambu Studio’s block on filaments it lists as unsuitable for the AMS into a warning, so the print goes ahead.

What Develop mode shows in Bambu Studio 2.9

Process settings that appear only with Develop mode on, in Bambu Studio 2.9.1 (sorted by settings page):

Develop mode also:

• shows the Calibration menu (Temperature, Flow rate, Pressure advance, Retraction test) for Bambu Lab printer profiles: a top-bar button on Windows, a menu-bar menu on macOS
• makes Nozzle diameter and Extruder offset editable in Bambu Lab printer profiles
• lets you print one object’s walls, solid infill and sparse infill in different filaments, under Object List, Others, Advanced (added in Bambu Studio 2.4.0)
• lets you edit the bed shape of third-party printers (added in Bambu Studio 1.7.6)

Bambu Lab’s settings guides note the same; its advanced quality guide says “some parameters will only be displayed if you enable “Developer mode” in Preferences.”

Bambu Studio Advanced vs Developer mode

Advanced and Develop mode are two levels of the same visibility control. The Advanced switch sits at the top of the settings panel and toggles between the simple and the full standard list. Develop mode, set in Preferences, is a third level above Advanced that adds the settings listed in the previous section.

With Develop mode on, Bambu Studio greys out the Advanced switch, because Develop mode already includes everything Advanced shows. None of the three levels touches the printer’s Developer Mode, and turning on one never turns on the other.