How to Hide Apps on Android

What is important to know

Personal data, business correspondence and passwords can be pleasant prey for ill-wishers. Or a child may accidentally delete or reconfigure something. Protecting yourself from this is quite simple - disguise applications and add a password to them to enter.

You can just hide the icons. To do this, on the main screen of the operating system, hold down an empty space with your finger. When you can drag and drop icons, move the app to the Trash or to the "Delete" label. In some cases, you need to hold down the icon of the program itself and select the "Delete" option. Such a measure of protection is very fast and will save you from experiments from outside. children, but for more advanced users, this will only add a few extra seconds to the search. The application will still be displayed in the general list, it can be easily found.

For greater reliability, you should not just remove icons from the main screen, but completely hide programs from the system lists. This can be done using the operating system settings, which differ in different versions.

Android and on different models of gadgets, or through third-party applications.

How to hide apps on Android using built-in tools

On Xiaomi devices

1. Open the "Applications" section in the main settings or launch the "Security" system application.
2. Select Application Protection.
3. Click the "Enable" button. The application will prompt you to set up an unlock. Here you can choose one of the access options - pattern, password or digital code.
4. Return to the previous screen by tapping on the arrow in the upper left corner.
5. Click App Protection again, enter the password you set, or use your fingerprint. Activate the sliders on the desired applications.

To find hidden programs, return to the main screen and do gestureas if you want to enlarge the image. The smartphone will require you to enter a password. If everything is done correctly, a folder with the necessary icons will appear.

On Samsung devices

1. Open the app drawer, click on the three dots in the top right corner and go to Home screen settings.
2. Click "Hide Apps" and select programs. Next, you need to transfer them to a hidden folder with a password.
3. Open the menu "Settings" → "Biometrics and security" → "Secure folder". Set up a lock option - password, PIN, or pattern.
4. Add the desired apps to the Hidden Folder list and apply the action.
5. You can return programs back to the main screen by excluding them from the lists in Hidden Folder and Home Screen Settings.

On Huawei and Honor devices

These brands do not have a standard masking mode. Programs can be temporarily disabled or added to them password to the entrance. Here's how to do it:

1. Open "Settings" and go to the "Applications" section.
2. In the list, find the one you need and click the "Disable" button - the application icon will disappear. You can view hidden programs in the same menu, on the "Inactive" tab. To make them appear again, tap "Enable".
3. To add a password to an app, go to Settings → Security & Privacy → App Lock.
4. Set a PIN and choose which programs you want to stop sharing. If necessary, everything can be rolled back in the same menu.

On LG devices

Here you can hide the program only with the basic setting:

1. Open Display Settings and tap Home Screen or Start Screen. Or go to the main screen and select "Home screen settings".
2. Use the "Hide Applications" menu and select the programs you want to hide. You can undo an action by excluding hidden applications from the list in settings.

How to hide applications on Android through third-party programs

Third-party utilities offer more options than the default system settings. It will turn out not only to hide programs from the general list, but also to mask them so that your data is much more difficult to detect.

With App Hider or Calculator Vault

App Hider and Calculator Vault are developed by the same company. They are almost identical in their capabilities, design and principle of operation, so you can choose any option from a pair. These programs can not only hide other applications from the general list, but also clone, which allows you to use two accounts at the same time.

Both apps masquerade as calculator. To hide the programs you need, do the following:

1. Install one of the applications. After that, App Hider or Calculator Vault will ask you to set a six-digit login password. Specify a set of numbers.
2. The home screen inside the app will launch. Here you can add programs that you want to hide. To do this, click the button with the “+” sign in the lower menu and make a choice in the list that opens.
3. After adding the application, tap on its icon and specify whether you want to run it in dual mode with a second account or leave it completely hidden and remove it from the list of programs in the system.

It is important to note that when you remove an application from the list on the open desktop, all data from this account will not be saved in the system. A hidden program is a clone in which you need to re-enter your information.

After using App Hider or Calculator Vault, the app will need to be reinstalled if you decide to use it openly again. If this is not very convenient for you, then it’s easier to make a clone with a second, secret account. Also, be sure to check if the copy of the program is working in the normal mode - in some cases, there may be mistakes.

With Hide It Pro

Hide It Pro masquerades as an "Audio Manager" with volume controls on the system. It is worth noting that this application can only hide other programs if there are root rights. If the superuser mode is not activated on your smartphone, then use the options described above.

To hide apps with Hide It Pro, follow these steps:

1. Install Hide It Pro. Then set a PIN or password to access the secret part.

2. Click on the Audio Manager logo and enter the customized code.

3. In the menu that opens, tap on "Hidden Applications" and confirm that you have root access.

4. In the "Hidden Applications" section, add the desired programs using the "+" button.

5. To return a program to visibility mode, exclude it from the list.

The developers warn that stealth mode does not work smoothly in all cases. They do not guarantee perfect reliability, and this should be taken into account.