How to hide apps on Android.

The built-in way to hide apps on Android is Private space, on Android 15 and later: it puts apps in a separate area at the bottom of your app list, behind its own lock, and can hide that area completely. On a Samsung Galaxy, you can also hide app icons with Hide apps on Home and Apps screens, or keep apps in Secure Folder. On Xiaomi and Redmi phones, go to Security > Hide apps. Hiding an icon and locking an app are different things, and the difference matters if someone else uses your phone.

The options at a glance

Option	Phones	What it hides	Lock to open
Private space	Android 15 and later, if the maker hasn’t turned it off	The apps, and the space itself when locked and hidden	Yes, its own lock or your screen lock
Samsung Hide apps	Samsung Galaxy	The icon on the Home and Apps screens	No
Samsung Secure Folder	Samsung Galaxy	A copy of the app, inside a locked folder	Yes, the folder’s lock
Xiaomi Hide apps	Xiaomi and Redmi	The icon on the Home screen and app drawer	Not stated on Xiaomi’s pages

Private space (Android 15 and later)

Needs: Android 15 or later, a phone whose maker hasn’t turned it off, a phone that isn’t managed by an organization, and you as the main user. Google also lists no supervised account on the main space, and no more than 4 users or profiles. On a Google Pixel with Android 15 or later, this is Google’s documented way to hide apps.

Set it up

1. Open Settings and tap Security & privacy.
2. Under “Privacy,” tap Private space.
3. Confirm your screen lock. If you don’t have one, you’ll be asked to set one.
4. Tap Set up, then Got it.
5. Sign in to a Google Account if you want to. Google recommends a separate account for private space.
6. Tap Use device screen lock, or Choose new lock to set a different pattern, PIN or password. A different lock is the stronger choice, because anyone who knows your screen lock could otherwise open it.
7. Tap Done.

Add apps. Apps aren’t moved in. You install a second copy. With private space unlocked, either tap + Install inside it, or touch and hold an app in All Apps and tap Install app in Private space. Google says the new copy doesn’t bring the original app’s data with it, and you can’t move an app’s data in from the main space.

Before you delete the original app, check that anything you need from it (chats, photos, notes) is synced to the app’s own account or saved somewhere else. Deleting an app can delete its data.

Lock and hide it

• To lock it, scroll to “Private space” at the bottom of All Apps and tap the lock icon.
• To lock it on a schedule, open it, tap the settings icon, then Lock private space automatically.
• To hide it completely, open its settings and turn on Hide private space when it’s locked.

The trade-offs. While it’s locked, Google says its apps are fully stopped: no notifications and no background activity. That’s good for privacy, bad for a messaging app you need to hear from. There is no way to recover a forgotten private space lock. Its on-device data isn’t backed up, and restoring a phone backup doesn’t bring it back. Apps that sync to their own cloud can restore after you sign in again. Google also says apps in private space bypass your VPN, and that someone could still tell a private space exists, for example through device logs or other apps.

Deleting it. Google warns that deleting private space deletes its apps and their data, with no backup. The option is under Settings > Security & privacy > Private space > Delete private space.

Hide apps on a Samsung Galaxy

1. Touch and hold an empty spot on a Home screen, then tap Settings.
2. Tap Hide apps on Home and Apps screens.
3. Select the apps you want to hide, then tap Done.

Samsung says this doesn’t remove the app from your phone. It only removes the icon. That makes it good for tidying up, and for keeping an app out of sight from someone glancing at your screen. It isn’t a lock: Samsung says you can open a hidden app by typing its name into the search bar on the Apps screen, and anyone holding your unlocked phone can do the same.

Menu names can differ a little by model, carrier and software version.

Samsung Secure Folder for apps

If an app needs a lock, Secure Folder is the stronger Samsung option. Open Secure Folder, tap Add apps, choose the app, and tap Add. Samsung says you’ll see a copy of the app inside Secure Folder, which opens only with the folder’s own lock.

You can also hide Secure Folder itself. Swipe down with two fingers to open Quick Settings and tap Secure Folder, or turn off Add Secure Folder to Apps screen in Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder.

Samsung warns that uninstalling Secure Folder removes all of its contents. It offers a Move media files out of Secure Folder option first, so use it. Setup, recovery and moving to a new phone are in the Samsung Secure Folder guide.

Hide apps on Xiaomi and Redmi phones

Xiaomi’s help page for the Xiaomi 14T gives these steps:

1. Open Security.
2. Swipe down and tap Hide apps.
3. Turn on the switch next to each app you want to hide. Turn it off to unhide.

Xiaomi says hiding doesn’t uninstall the app. To see hidden apps, spread two fingers apart on the Home screen. Xiaomi’s general FAQ describes the same gesture as pressing a blank area with two fingers and sliding them apart. The exact menu name varies by model and software version, so if you don’t see Hide apps, check Xiaomi’s help page for your phone.

Other phones: OPPO, realme, vivo and more

Other makers have their own settings for hiding or locking apps, and the steps change between models and software versions. We only list steps that a maker documents on its own help pages, and we couldn’t confirm current ones for these brands. Search your maker’s support site for your exact model. If your phone runs Android 15 or later, check for Private space under Settings > Security & privacy first.

How to find hidden apps and unhide them

• Private space: scroll to the bottom of All Apps and tap Private space: Tap to set up or open, or go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space. Either way, you need its lock.
• Samsung: search the app’s name on the Apps screen to open it. To unhide it, go back to Hide apps on Home and Apps screens and tap the red minus icon on the app under Hidden apps, then Done.
• Samsung Secure Folder: go to Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder and enter its lock.
• Xiaomi and Redmi: spread two fingers apart on the Home screen. To unhide, turn the app’s switch off in Security > Hide apps.
• Any phone with Google Play: open the Play Store, tap your Profile icon, then Manage apps & devices, then Manage. This lists apps installed from Google Play.

Hiding an app is not the same as locking it

Samsung’s and Xiaomi’s hide settings remove an icon. They don’t put the app behind a lock. Private space and Secure Folder do, and they cost more effort: a second copy of the app, a separate lock to remember, and no recovery if you forget a private space lock.

For most people, a tidy Home screen just needs the hide setting. If you’d mind someone opening the app, use Private space or Secure Folder.

Hiding an app also doesn’t hide the photos it saved. If that’s what you’re after, see how to hide photos on Android, or the Google Photos Locked Folder guide.

Questions

Can I hide apps on Android without installing another app?

Yes. Private space is built into Android 15 and later. Samsung Galaxy phones have the Hide apps setting and Secure Folder, and Xiaomi and Redmi phones have Hide apps in Security.

Does hiding an app delete it or its data?

No. Samsung says hiding doesn’t remove the app, and Xiaomi says it hides apps without uninstalling them. Private space is different: it installs a fresh copy, so deleting the original afterwards can delete that original’s data.

Do hidden apps still send notifications?

Apps in a locked private space don’t. Google says they’re fully stopped until you unlock it. Samsung’s and Xiaomi’s pages don’t say what hiding an icon does to notifications.

Can I hide preinstalled apps?

Sometimes. Google says some phones let you turn off system apps so they don’t show in your app list. On a Galaxy, touch and hold the app on the Apps screen and tap Disable. Samsung notes that not every preinstalled app can be disabled.

I forgot my private space lock. Can I get back in?

No. Google says lock recovery isn’t supported. You can reset private space, which deletes its apps and their on-device data.

Can someone tell I have hidden apps?

On Samsung and Xiaomi, yes: a search on the Apps screen or the two-finger gesture shows them. Google says a private space may also be detectable, for example through device logs or other apps, even when it’s hidden.