How to hide apps on samsung

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Last updated: April 4, 2026

Quick Answer: Samsung phones offer a built-in feature to hide apps, accessible through the Home screen settings. You can also utilize secure folders or third-party launchers for more robust app hiding and privacy.

Key Facts

Samsung's Home screen settings allow hiding apps from the app drawer.
The Secure Folder feature provides an encrypted, separate space for apps and data.
Third-party launchers offer advanced customization, including app hiding.
Hidden apps can still be found via search or by disabling the hiding feature.
Some apps can be hidden by moving them to the Secure Folder, which requires a separate PIN or password.

What does it mean to hide an app on Samsung?

Hiding an app on a Samsung device means making it invisible from the main app drawer and the home screen. This doesn't uninstall the app, but rather removes its shortcut from view, making it inaccessible through normal navigation. It's a useful privacy feature to declutter your screen or conceal applications you don't want others to easily find or access. This can range from financial apps to social media or games you prefer to keep private.

How to Hide Apps Using Samsung's Built-in Feature

Samsung devices, running on the One UI interface, have a native way to hide applications directly from the Home screen settings. This method is straightforward and doesn't require any additional downloads.

Steps:

Access Home Screen Settings: Long-press on an empty area of your Home screen. A menu will pop up; tap on 'Settings' or 'Home screen settings'.
Find Hide Apps: Scroll down in the settings menu until you find an option labeled 'Hide apps on Home and Apps screens' or similar.
Select Apps to Hide: Tap on this option. You will be presented with a list of all installed applications. Select the apps you wish to hide by tapping on them.
Apply Changes: Once you've selected your apps, tap 'Done' or 'Apply' to save your changes. The selected apps will now be hidden from your app drawer and home screen.

Important Note: While these apps are hidden from view, they can often still be found by using the search function within your phone's settings or on the app drawer itself if the search bar is visible. To access them, you typically need to go back into the same 'Hide apps' menu, select the apps again, and then tap 'Done' to unhide them.

Using Secure Folder for Enhanced Privacy

For a more secure and private way to manage sensitive applications, Samsung offers 'Secure Folder'. This is a separate, encrypted environment on your phone where you can install apps, store files, and even take photos, all protected by a PIN, password, or pattern. Apps placed in the Secure Folder are not visible in the main operating system environment.

How to Set Up and Use Secure Folder:

Access Secure Folder: You can find Secure Folder in your app drawer or by searching for it. If it's not there, you may need to download it from the Galaxy Store.
Set Up Security: Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a lock for your Secure Folder (PIN, password, or pattern).
Add Apps: Once set up, open Secure Folder and tap the '+' icon to add existing apps from your phone or download new ones from the Galaxy Store.
Hide or Move Apps: You can move apps from your main phone environment into the Secure Folder. Once moved, the original app icon will disappear from the main screen, and only the app within the Secure Folder will be accessible.

Secure Folder offers a higher level of security as it's isolated from the main OS, making it much harder for anyone to access your hidden apps or data without your specific credentials.

Utilizing Third-Party Launchers

For users seeking more advanced customization options, including sophisticated app hiding capabilities, third-party launchers are an excellent alternative. Launchers replace your phone's default home screen and app drawer interface, offering a wealth of features.

Popular Launchers with App Hiding Features:

Nova Launcher: One of the most popular Android launchers, Nova Launcher offers an 'App Drawer' section within its settings where you can hide apps. It provides a clean interface and extensive customization.
Apex Launcher: Similar to Nova, Apex Launcher allows you to hide apps from the app drawer.
Microsoft Launcher: This launcher also includes options for managing and hiding applications.

How to Use Third-Party Launchers:

Download a Launcher: Go to the Google Play Store and search for a launcher like Nova Launcher. Download and install your chosen app.
Set as Default: After installation, you'll be prompted to set the new launcher as your default home app.
Configure Hiding: Open the settings of the new launcher and navigate to its app drawer or privacy settings. Look for the option to hide apps and select the ones you want to conceal.

Third-party launchers often provide more granular control over which apps are hidden and how they are accessed, sometimes offering PIN protection or gesture-based access for hidden apps.

Limitations and Considerations

It's important to understand the limitations of hiding apps:

Searchability: As mentioned, many hiding methods, especially the built-in one, don't make apps completely invisible to search functions.
Updates: Hidden apps may still receive updates.
Notifications: Depending on the method, notifications from hidden apps might still appear.
Security: Hiding apps is primarily for privacy and convenience, not for robust security against determined individuals. For true security, Secure Folder or app lockers with password protection are recommended.
Accidental Unhiding: It's easy to accidentally unhide apps if you frequently access the Home screen settings.

By understanding these methods and their nuances, you can effectively manage the visibility of your applications on your Samsung device to suit your privacy needs.