How to hide apps on android without disabling.
Many people think they have nothing to hide. While this may be true for someone who doesn’t use any digital devices, if you own a smartphone, you definitely have something that you would rather keep under wraps.
For those who use their phone on a daily basis, hiding files and applications can be a real problem as Android OS doesn’t make it easy. However, if you ever need to hide your apps and the sensitive data they contain from prying eyes, there are several ways to do it.
Find out how to hide apps on Android using your smartphone’s native settings as well as third-party apps.
Why Hide Apps on Android?
There may be several reasons why you want to hide apps on your Android device. The most obvious situation is the loss or theft of your phone – you need to restrict access to any confidential information for strangers who might find your smartphone if you lose it.
Even if you’ve never lost your phone, there are many reasons why you should consider hiding at least some of the apps on your Android device. For example, if your family members do not recognize your phone as your personal gadget and lend it without your permission. You might even give it to other family members yourself – for example, when your child asks to play a mobile game – and you want to make sure it’s child-proof.
Finally, Android devices sometimes come with messy apps that don’t serve any purpose but take up space on your smartphone’s display. Hiding them will help you clean up and organize your smartphone’s interface.
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Hide Your Apps on Android by Disabling Them
The easiest way to ensure that no one else can access the apps on your smartphone is to uninstall them. However, this also means losing all of your application data. Your Android won’t save the data of the deleted app, so the next time you decide to use this app, you have to start from scratch.
If you prefer to keep app data, the best solution to hide apps on Android is to disable them. Remember that while the app is disabled you will not be able to use it. To disable an app on Android, follow these steps.
- Open the settings menu on your smartphone.
- Find the Applications section of the menu and select View All Applications or Manage Applications.
- To view all applications, select the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen. From the drop-down menu, select Show All Apps.
- Scroll down to find the app you want to disable, or enter its name in the search bar at the top of the screen.
- On the application information page, select Disable.
As soon as you disable the application, it will stop using your phone’s memory. The app will disappear from the app drawer, but the app data will be saved for future use. If you ever need to use this application again, follow the same path as described above to the application information page and select Enable.
Hide Apps Using Android Launcher
Many Android phones have the ability to hide apps using the system launcher.
For example, on Android phones with MIUI, this can be done using the App Lock feature. Before you do this, you need to enable App Lock on your smartphone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down until you find the Applications section and select Lock Applications.
- Select Enable and create a security template that you will use to unlock hidden apps later. You can also add your Mi Account to reset this template if you forget it.
Now that you’ve turned on app lock, you can use it to lock apps on your phone to restrict access to them. This way, even if someone tinkers with your phone, they won’t be able to enter locked apps.
If you’d rather hide these apps, select Hidden Apps next to App Lock. Then select the apps you want to hide from the list.
Depending on the brand of your smartphone, they will all have different functions, similar to the Xiaomi app lock. On Samsung, you can find the Hide app option in the home screen settings menu. On OnePlus, this is a hidden space feature that you can access in the app drawer by swiping to the right. Huawei calls the same feature PrivateSpace. You can find it in your smartphone’s security and privacy settings.
Create Folders to Hide Apps on Android
One quick solution to hide apps on your smartphone is to put them in ambiguous folders. Desirable things that nobody cares about, such as clutter or garbage. You can create as many folders as you like to make it harder for attackers to find what they want.
Hide Apps Using a Third-Party App
Another way to hide your apps on Android is to use a dedicated third party app. Many applications can be used for this.
For example, you can use one of the Android launchers that has a feature to hide your apps. Of course, your smartphone already comes with a default launcher, but if there is no way to hide or lock your apps, you can download a new one from the Google Play Store. Smart Launcher 5, Apex Launcher and premium version of Nova Launcher have the option to hide or lock your apps.
Apps like AppLock offer a more obvious way to hide your apps. Install the app and add the apps you want to hide to the “app store”. You will be prompted for a security password every time you need to access the vault. The only drawback here is that the vault icon will be visible to everyone.
Hide Your Apps From Prying Eyes
Blocking or hiding the apps on your Android phone that store your personal information is a great preventative security measure that cannot be ignored. If you do this ahead of time, you don’t have to worry about wiping your phone’s data if it is lost or stolen to protect your data.
Do you hide or block apps on your smartphone? Which method do you use to hide your apps? Share your experience with keeping Android apps private in the comments section below.