As a developer, you know the importance of keeping your work confidential and protected. But sometimes, even the most experienced developers make mistakes that can reveal sensitive information about their projects. One such mistake is leaving a development build watermark in your game or application.

A development build watermark is a visible mark on your game or application that indicates it’s still in development mode. It’s a common practice among developers to include this mark to prevent unauthorized use of their work, but it can also be a major turn-off for potential users and clients who see it.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of removing the development build watermark from your Unity project, so that you can present it in its final form to the world. We will cover the steps involved, as well as best practices for keeping your work confidential and protected.

Why Remove the Development Build Watermark?

Before we dive into the process of removing the development build watermark from your Unity project, let’s explore why it’s important to do so in the first place.

A development build watermark can reveal sensitive information about your project, such as its version number, build date, and even the location of your codebase. This information can be used by malicious actors to steal your work or launch attacks against your website or application.

Furthermore, a development build watermark can be a major turn-off for potential users and clients who see it. They may perceive it as unprofessional or incomplete, which can damage your reputation and lead to missed opportunities.

In short, removing the development build watermark from your Unity project is essential for protecting your work and presenting it in its final form to the world.

How to Remove the Development Build Watermark in Unity

Now that we’ve established why it’s important to remove the development build watermark from your Unity project, let’s take a look at how to do it.

Step 1: Open Your Project in Unity Hub

The first step is to open your Unity project in Unity Hub. Unity Hub is a web-based platform that allows you to manage and organize your Unity projects, as well as access various tools and services for game development.

To open your project in Unity Hub, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Unity Hub website.
2. Sign in with your Unity account.
3. Click on the "Projects" tab and select your project from the list.

Step 2: Clean Build Settings

Once you’ve opened your project in Unity Hub, the next step is to clean up your build settings. This involves removing any unnecessary or outdated files that may be present in your project.

To clean up your build settings, follow these steps:

1. In the Unity Hub interface, click on the "Build" tab for your project.
2. Click on the "Clean Build Settings" button to remove any unnecessary files from your project.
3. Confirm that you want to delete these files by clicking on the "Delete" button.

Step 3: Remove Watermark From Build Settings

With your build settings cleaned up, the next step is to remove the development build watermark from your Unity project. This involves modifying your build settings to exclude the watermark from your final build.

To remove the watermark from your build settings, follow these steps:

1. In the Unity Hub interface, click on the "Build" tab for your project.
2. Click on the "Player Settings" button in the left-hand menu.
3. Scroll down to the "Watermarks" section and toggle the "Development Build Watermark" switch to "Off".
4. Save your changes to the build settings by clicking on the "Apply" button.

Step 4: Build Your Project

With your build settings cleaned up and the development build watermark removed, it’s time to build your project. This will generate a final executable file that can be distributed to users and clients.

To build your project, follow these steps:

1. In the Unity Hub interface, click on the "Build" tab for your project.
2. Select the platform you want to build for (e.g., Windows, Mac, iOS) from the drop-down menu.
3. Click on the "Build" button to generate a final executable file.
4. Save the file to your desired location and distribute it to users and clients.

Best Practices for Keeping Your Work Confidential and Protected

Now that you’ve removed the development build watermark from your Unity project, let’s discuss some best practices for keeping your work confidential and protected.

1. Use Version Control: Version control is a powerful tool that allows you to track changes to your codebase over time and collaborate with other developers. It’s essential for protecting your work and preventing unauthorized access or modification of your code.

   

2. Use Encryption: Encryption is a technique for securing data by encoding it in a way that makes it unreadable without the proper decryption key. You can use encryption to protect sensitive information such as source code, configuration files, and other proprietary data.
3. Use Access Controls: Access controls are mechanisms for controlling who has access to your project and its contents. You can use access controls to restrict access to specific files or folders, limit the number of users who have access, and enforce strong password policies.
4. Keep Your Codebase Private: Finally, it’s essential to keep your codebase private and secure. This means limiting access to your project to only authorized personnel and using secure file-sharing services when distributing your work.

Summary

In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know about removing the development build watermark from your Unity project. We’ve discussed why it’s important to do so, as well as best practices for keeping your work confidential and protected.

By following these steps and best practices, you can ensure that your Unity projects are secure, professional, and ready for distribution to users and clients.