How to hide apps, files, and folders on Android devices? Top 7 Ways

If your smartphone contains all your personal information like documents of identity, banking details, and medical history, then you should make sure that they’re protected by an added layer of security. Your phone’s lock screen is easy to bypass, so incase your device gets stolen you would want all your personal information to stay hidden from malicious entities. In this article, we bring you the top 7 ways to hide apps, images, files, and folders on any Android device.

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How to hide apps on a Samsung device

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Home Screen.

Step 2: Scroll down and select ‘Hide Apps’.

Step 3: Select the apps you want to hide. Tap on ‘Done’ once you’re finished.

Step 4: Tap the red minus icon on an app if you want to unhide it.

You can also tap the ellipses (three dots) on the app drawer and select ‘Settings’ to access Home Screen settings.

How to hide apps on a OnePlus device

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Privacy. 

Step 2: Swipe to the Privacy tab and tap on ‘Hide Apps’.

Step 3: Enter your privacy password.

Step 4: To hide an app, turn on the toggle bar next to it. 

Step 5: Set up a dial code to access the app.

Step 6: Once the app is hidden, launch the Phone app and type the dial code to access it.

Hide apps using the Nova Launcher

Step 1: Download and install Nova Launcher on your device from Google Play Store.

Step 2: Launch Nova Launcher and get Nova Launcher Prime.

Step 3: Open Nova Launcher settings and select ‘App Drawer’.

Step 4: Scroll down to Apps and select ‘Hide apps’.

Step 5: Tap the apps you want to hide and save your changes.

Hide an app by disabling it

Certain system and bloatware apps cannot be removed from your Android smartphone. At best you can disable them, so they don’t show up in the app drawer. Here’s how.

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Apps.

Step 2: Select the app you want to disable.

Step 3: Select ‘Disable’ from the bottom menu.

The app will be disabled on your device and you won’t see it on the app drawer anymore.

Hide a file in the Safe Folder

Google’s Files app offers a ‘Safe Folder’ within which you can lock your important files and documents. Items inside the Safe Folder are not visible to anyone unless they provide the password. Here’s how you can hide a file in the Safe Folder.

Step 1: Launch the Files app by Google on your smartphone. If you do not have this app on your phone, download it from Google Play Store.

Step 2: In the ‘Browse’ tab, select ‘Safe folder’.

Step 3: Choose a lock for your files. You can either add a pin or a pattern lock.

Step 4: Go to the file or document you want to secure and tap the ellipses (three dots) next to it.

Step 5: Select ‘Move to safe folder’.

Step 6: Enter the pin or pattern you just created.

Your file will be moved to the safe folder and can only be accessed when you enter the pin or pattern. You will need to move the file out of the secure folder to open it.

Hide images on a Samsung device

Step 1: Open the Gallery app and tap the ellipses at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Select ‘Hide or unhide albums’.

Step 3: Turn the toggle bar on next to the folder you want to hide.

The image folder will not be visible in the gallery anymore.

Hide an image, file, or document on a OnePlus device

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Privacy. 

Step 2: Swipe to the Privacy tab and tap on ‘Private Safe’.

Step 3: To hide an image, tap on ‘Images and videos’. Similarly, if you want to hide a file, tap on ‘Documents’ or ‘Other Files’.

Step 4: Tap the plus icon to add files to the Private Safe.

Step 5: Select the file and tap on ‘Set as private’.

The images and files will be made private and can’t be viewed until they have been made public from the Private Safe in Settings.

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Conclusion

These are the top 7 ways to hide apps, images, files, and folders on any Android device. There are many alternatives to third-party apps like Nova Launcher that help you hide folders and apps on your smartphone. Apps like Avast Antivirus & Security and App Hider will help you mask personal apps from your phone’s home screen.

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