React Native Dev Menu not Appearing

Question

I'm debugging a React Native app in the AVD Android Emulator running a Nexus 5X API 27 Oreo on Windows 10, and the developer menu will not show using the steps mentioned in this StackOverflow question How do you debug React Native?

1. Using Ctrl + M on the emulator enables the multi-gesture action instead of the dev menu. Windows + M minimizes all open windows. I have also tried going into Settings > Send keyboard shortcuts to > Virtual device.
2. Using the adb shell input keyevent 82 command does not do anything. I tried going into adb shell and running the command input keyevent 82.
3. Shaking the device using Virtual Sensors > Accelerometer does not bring up the menu by shaking the device.
4. Upgraded from API 27 Oreo to API 28 Pie.

So far I was able to open the Dev Menu using Step 2, but it stopped working all of a sudden, without any changes to the React Native code as far as I know. I tried running it on a physical device and shaking it worked as expected.

Answer 1

For me this happened when I connected a real device at the same time as the simulator was running. After real device was disconnected and app was rebuilt Cmd+M (Mac OS) worked again.