How to Hide Apps on Android

How you hide apps on Android depends on your phone’s software skin — Samsung One UI, Xiaomi HyperOS/MIUI and stock Android each have their own built-in way, so there is no single universal setting. The good news is every major brand now includes a genuine, safe option built in. Find your phone below and follow that section.

Samsung (One UI): Hide apps and Secure Folder

Samsung gives you two levels. For a quick hide, touch and hold an empty part of the Home screen, tap Settings, then Hide apps, and select the apps to hide — they disappear from the Home screen and app drawer.

For real privacy, use Secure Folder. Go to Settings > Security and privacy > Secure Folder and sign in with your Samsung account. Secure Folder creates a separate, encrypted space locked by PIN, pattern, password or fingerprint. Apps you add there run as private copies — so you can even keep a second, hidden WhatsApp or gallery — and the original app on your main screen stays untouched. On newer One UI versions you can also hide the Secure Folder icon itself, and set separate biometrics for it, so nobody can tell it exists.

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (HyperOS / MIUI)

Xiaomi phones have Hidden apps built in. Go to Settings > Apps > App lock, set or confirm your pattern/PIN, then look for Hidden apps and toggle on the apps you want out of sight. To open a hidden app later, go to your Home screen and spread two fingers apart (a reverse pinch); the hidden apps tray appears after you authenticate.

Xiaomi also offers App lock (Settings > Apps > App lock) to require a PIN or fingerprint when opening sensitive apps, and Second space for a fully separate profile with its own apps and wallpaper — useful if you share the phone. You can also hide notification content for locked apps, so message previews do not pop up on the lock screen. Combine App lock with Hidden apps for the strongest setup: the app is invisible in the drawer, and even if someone finds it, they still need your fingerprint or PIN to open it.

Stock Android (Pixel, Motorola, Nothing): Private Space

On phones running Android 15 or newer, Google’s built-in answer is Private Space. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space and follow the setup — you can lock it with your screen lock or a separate one. Apps installed inside Private Space sit in a locked section at the bottom of the app drawer; while locked, they are hidden from the drawer, settings and notifications. Note that Private Space needs Android 15 and a phone with enough RAM.

Older stock phones without Private Space have no native hide feature, so your best option is a trusted third-party launcher (see below).

Hide apps with a third-party launcher

If your phone lacks a built-in option, install a reputable launcher such as Nova Launcher from the Play Store and set it as default. In its settings you will find a Hide apps list that removes chosen apps from the drawer. Only use well-known launchers — avoid obscure “app hider” tools that request excessive permissions, since those can leak the very data you are trying to protect.

Hide files, not just apps

Sometimes it is a document or photo you want out of sight, not the whole app. Files by Google has a built-in Safe folder locked by PIN, and Samsung’s Secure Folder and Xiaomi’s private space handle files too. For finance apps, pairing a hide with an app lock is wise — see our guide on how to use Google Pay safely.

How to unhide an app later

Unhiding is just the reverse of whatever you did:

• Samsung Hide apps: go back to Home screen settings > Hide apps and untick the app.
• Samsung Secure Folder / Private Space: open the locked space, long-press the app and remove it, or move it back out.
• Xiaomi Hidden apps: spread two fingers on the Home screen, authenticate, then toggle the app off the hidden list.
• Launcher hide: reopen the launcher’s Hide apps list and untick it.

Because the app was never uninstalled, all its data and logins are exactly as you left them once it reappears.

A quick note on privacy versus hiding

Hiding an app is about keeping casual snoopers out — a curious friend or a child. It is not full security. A simple home-screen hide, in particular, only removes the icon; the app can still be found through Settings, search or the Play Store, and it may still push notifications. For anything sensitive, combine hiding with a strong screen lock and biometrics, and use a proper locked space (Secure Folder or Private Space) rather than just removing an icon. And remember: hidden apps still receive updates and still count toward storage. If space is your real concern, see how to clear cache on Android or how to free up storage on your phone.