How to hide apps on Android

Hiding your important Android apps will keep them away from curious eyes.

They not only help us stay in touch with our loved ones, but they also serve as the center of our financial universe and are where we save vital health information.

Naturally, we lock our devices to prevent others from accessing this private information, but if you often let your kids, partner, or friends to use your phone to look things up or snap pictures, there is a chance that this information may be compromised.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution to reduce the likelihood of this happening: hide applications. Here’s an easy method for safeguarding your personal data.

Hiding apps via Android settings:

Apps may be hidden in several Android versions via the settings menu. However, keep in mind that these elements are always changing as newer versions of Android are released and the software interfaces used by manufacturers also evolve. On some of the most well-known Android phone manufacturers, here’s how to hide applications.

How to hide apps on a Samsung phone:

• Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the App Drawer, which is the tab that lists all of your installed apps.
• Select Settings by tapping the three dots in the top right corner.
• You may browse the list of all your apps and choose the ones you wish to hide.
• Tap “Done” at the bottom of the page when you’re done.
• All of the applications you chose won’t longer be visible in the app drawer.
• Use the Google Search widget (bar) or launch the Google app and input the name of the app to find it. The search results’ From Your Apps section will have the app mentioned. It will open normally when you tap it.

How to hide apps on OnePlus phones:

1. Swipe to the right after opening the App Drawer (the tab that displays all of your apps).
2. Now a page titled Hidden Space will appear. No hidden programs should be displayed in the screen’s center.
3. In the top right corner, tap the Plus symbol.
4. Tap the check symbol in the upper right corner after choosing the applications you wish to hide.
5. The secret apps are now listed on the Hidden Space page.
6. Return to the Hidden Space page and long-press the app you wish to reveal to unhide it.

How to hide apps on a Xiaomi phone:

Although Xiaomi appears to have discontinued the Hidden Apps function with MIUI 13, App Lock still offers security. Certain applications are password-protected, making it difficult for anybody to open them, and you may even choose to conceal any associated alerts. Here’s how to configure it.

• Navigate to Settings and choose Apps.
• Then, hit the Turn On button after choosing App Lock.
• If you haven’t already, you’ll need to create a Mi (Xiaomi) account because the functionality depends on it. It just takes a few seconds and is free.
• After doing this, you will see the App Lock screen, which includes some recommended applications you may choose to lock. Tap Use App Lock after unticking any that you don’t want.
• Now select any apps you want to lock. Each will show a login screen when anyone taps them from now on (you can unlock them with your fingerprint).
• Additionally, you may choose to conceal sensitive notifications by selecting the “Want to hide sensitive notfications?” option.
• Simply go back to the App Lock screen and deselect the applications you want to unlock.

How to hide apps on Android with a new launcher:

If Android’s settings do not allow you to hide apps, another alternative is to utilize a different launcher, which will offer you more control over how the interface functions. One of our all-time favorite launchers is Nova since it provides you so many options for customizing your device’s UI.

You can swiftly organize those rogue programs once you’ve downloaded and installed Nova launcher (others are also available that provide comparable functionality).

• Open Nova, then press the icon for Nova Settings.
• Select the App Drawer menu item.
• Select Hide applications once you’ve located the Apps area by scrolling down.
• Once you’ve reached the Apps section by scrolling down, choose Hide programs.
• I’m done now. Your app drawer should no longer display the apps. Simply repeat the previous steps while deselecting the app to restore them.

How to disable apps on Android:

If you’re unable to remove pre-installed programs or just don’t want them to operate in the background at any time, your final resort may be to deactivate them. Although not all applications or Android UI versions will support this, it is still worth a shot.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select the app you wish to uninstall by tapping Apps and notifications.
3. Choose Disable if the option is available.
4. Now, assuming all goes according to plan, the app won’t show up in your App Drawer or at the very least won’t launch on its own. Repeat the same steps, but this time choose Enable, to restore its permissions.

Here are a few alternative methods for concealing applications on your Android phone. See our lists of the top antivirus programs and cloud storage providers for further suggestions on how to keep your device safe.