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Samsung runs on Android, but most of its phone models have features that other Android models don’t. One of them is hiding applications. Samsung has native features that let you do so. At the same time, Samsung phones allow us to lock apps to keep them safe from other users.
This article is dedicated to hiding apps on Samsung. If you use other phone models and want to know how to hide apps on Android and the best app to hide apps on Android, check out our article on How to Find Hidden Apps on Android.
How to Hide Apps on Samsung S7 / S8 / S9 / S10?
You can either use the phone’s native method to hide an app or use a secure folder. If they are not available (you may be using an older model), you can disable applications or download third-party solutions.
How to Make Apps Invisible on Samsung by Hiding Them?
Follow these steps to hide apps from the App Drawer (Menu) in a Samsung phone:
Step 1: Open your App Drawer and tap on the three dots to open the Home Screen Settings. You can find them on the top right corner of your screen.
Step 1.1: Opening the Home Screen Settings is also possible by tapping on the home button a few times. You will see the Home Screen Settings on the bottom right.
Step 2: Scroll until you see Hide Apps. Select the apps you want to hide and tap on Apply.
Done. Now the apps you have chosen to hide will not be visible on the App Drawer.
How to Disable Apps on Samsung?
Disabling an application does two things. First, it prevents the app from showing up in the App Drawer. It also stops the app from running any processes in the background, therefore freeing up system resources.
Here are the steps to disable an app:
Step 1: Launch Settings.
Step 2: Tap on Apps (Apps & Notifications).
Step 3: Open All Apps (Application Manager).
Step 4: Select the app you want to disable and tap on Disable App.
You may also be interested in this: How to Stop Apps from Running in the Background for every OS.
How Do You Find Hidden Apps on Samsung?
It is simple. Remember the name of the app you hid, and type the name on the search box (located at the top of the screen on the App Drawer).
If you have disabled an application, just follow the same Settings path that you used to disable it and tap on Enable. Your app will show again, and you will be able to use it like before.
If you’re using a smartphone from a different manufacturer and wondering “how do I unhide hidden apps on Android”, check out our article how to find hidden apps on Android phone.
How to Use the Samsung Secure Folder to Hide an App?
This method is an easy answer to how to hide apps on Android without a launcher. Samsung’s secure folder is a more solid method of hiding applications through an additional layer of authentication apart from the phone’s passcode. You can place your applications into a secure folder and lock the folder with a passcode, which can be a pattern, PIN or fingerprint unlock.
A secure folder appears in the App Drawer, but it is impossible to see what’s inside without the passcode.
Follow these steps to enable Secure Folder on your Samsung phone:
Step 1: Launch Settings.
Step 2: Tap on Lock Screen and Security. The screen may also say Biometrics and Security if your phone has a fingerprint unlock.
Step 3: Scroll down until you see the Secure Folder. Enable it. You will be prompted to set a passcode.
Image Credit: androidcommunity.com
The secure folder will now appear on your App Drawer. To add applications, open the folder and tap on Add Applications.
Tip: Got to Settings > Lock Screen and Security > Secure Folder and uncheck the Show Secure Folder to hide it from the drawer. To show it, go to the Search tab and type “secure folder”.
We have another article where we talked about locking apps on different Android phones: How to Lock Apps on Android.
How to Hide the Secure Folder on Samsung
The Secure Folder on Samsung smartphones can appear on the home screen or app drawer. If you want to hide it for an additional layer of protection, follow these steps.
Step 1: Open Settings.
Step 2: Tap on Biometrics and security and then open the Secure Folder settings.
Step 3: Toggle the “Show Secure Folder” feature Off.
Step 4: On the pop-up “Hide Secure Folder?” tap on “HIDE”.
You can later access the Secure Folder by heading to the Secure Folder Settings and entering the PIN or password.
Hide Apps Using App Folders
App folders are the quickest and easiest solution if you’re wondering how to hide apps on Android without disabling. If you want to hide apps from your home screen, but want to easily access them later, then hiding them inside app folders will do the trick. Even though these apps can be accessed using the app drawer, it is a quick fix to hide apps without disabling them or installing third-party apps. Here’s how you can do it.
Step 1: On the home screen, tap and hold an app and drag it on top of another app.
Step 2: When a folder frame appears, drop the app, and a new folder containing the two apps involved will be created.
Step 3: Open the folder to change its name. You can also change the folder’s colour by tapping on the colour picker.
Step 4: Along with the app you want to hide, drag and drop multiple apps into this folder. The more apps in this folder, the better.
If someone browses through your smartphone’s home screen, they won’t notice the app as it is hidden among other apps in the folder.
If you want to quickly create an app folder without dragging apps one-by-one, follow these steps.
Step 1: Hold an app until the app settings menu appears.
Step 2: Tap Select multiple items to select multiple apps.
Step 3: Select the apps you want to include and tap Create folder. Now all the apps you selected will be grouped in the folder.
Step 4: Arrange the folder with multiple apps in such a way that the app you are trying to hide is least visible.
If you want to add more apps into the folder, use the ADD APPS option.
Hide Apps Using Nova Launcher
One of the most effective ways to hide apps on Samsung smartphones is by using a launcher. And one that does it neat is the Nova Launcher Prime, which has tonnes of features and is incredibly fast.
Even though there is a free version available called Nova Launcher, you need to upgrade to the Prime version to hide apps. If you like to customise your device extensively, then the Prime version is worth paying for.
If you want to hide apps without paying for it, you can try Apex Launcher, which is a free alternative to Nova Launcher Prime. But the performance and number of features available with the Nova Launcher are superior to every Android launcher available.
Once you have installed it, follow these steps.
Step 1: Set Nova Launcher Prime as your default launcher.
Step 2: Open the Nova Launcher settings.
Step 3: Tap on App & widget drawers.
Step 4: Scroll down and tap on the Hide apps option. This will open the list of apps installed on your device.
Step 5: Tap and select the apps you want to hide.
Step 6: Once you have selected the apps you want to hide, press the back arrow button and the list will be automatically saved.
To access a hidden app, open the app drawer and type in its name to launch it.
Edit an App’s Icon and Name Using Nova Launcher
The downside of hiding apps using Nova Launcher is that anyone smart enough to search for a hidden app in the app drawer can easily discover it. To counter this, there’s another way you can hide apps which is not exactly hiding but keeping it in disguise.
Both the free and Prime version of Nova Launcher lets you change the name and icon of an app, making it undetectable during a search. Here’s how you can do it.
Step 1: Install Nova Launcher and set it as your default launcher.
Step 2: Open the app drawer.
Step 3: Long-press the app you want to hide and tap on Edit.
Step 4: Edit the app’s name and change its icon.
Step 5: Tap Done.
As the app is only in disguise, anyone who accidentally or randomly opens an app can understand its contents.
If you want an extra layer of protection, change the name of an app to something not familiar and hide it by following the steps discussed in the previous section. This way, if someone’s trying to pry into your privacy, they will have a hard time figuring out what the app is named, making it harder to search for it.
Use Samsung Kids to Restrict App Access
In most Android devices, you can use the Guest Mode feature to restrict access to all content of your device while sharing it. When enabled, the Guest Mode shows only the pre-installed system apps and that too, without any of the owner’s content.
The Guest Mode in Android devices. Image Credit: greenbot.com
But after the release of Android Pie (and even before that in some models), Samsung replaced this feature with a close alternative called Samsung Kids (or Kids Home in some models).
As the name suggests, the Samsung Kids feature is designed to offer a safe, kid-friendly experience while sharing your smartphone with children. This makes it easier to hide apps not suitable for kids, without disabling them or installing third-party apps.
Once the feature is enabled, kids can access only certain apps and content, ensuring their online safety. Here’s how you can enable it.
Step 1: Drag down the Quick Panel to open it.
Step 2: On the Quick Panel, tap the Samsung Kids option.
Step 3: On the welcome screen, tap Next.
Step 4: Set a PIN to access parental controls.
Step 5: Tap on the top-right menu button to choose the apps and contacts your child can access, along with setting limits on daily playtime.
Hiding Apps on Samsung by Downloading Other Third-Party Apps
Apps like App vault, or AppLock on the Google Play Store can hide applications and secure them with a passcode just like the Samsung Secure Folder. Apps like Calculator Vault are app disguisers that can camouflage themselves – making people believe that they are other apps, but at the same time, working like a vault.
Conclusion: Samsung phones are very convenient when it comes to hiding apps. You can choose to make them invisible from the App Drawer or keep them locked in a Secure Folder. If none of them works for you, you can temporarily disable the app or download third-party app lockers.