Everyone has apps they may not want other people to know they use. That’s why many Android home screen launchers allow you to hide apps. We’ll show you how to set it up so you can keep prying eyes away.
A home screen launcher is the app you see when you press the home button. It has your wallpaper, app shortcuts, widgets, and the full app list. We’ll show you how to hide apps on Samsung phones and with a third-party launcher.
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Hide Apps on a Samsung Galaxy Phone
Samsung Galaxy phones come with a default launcher called “One UI Home.” It’s a solid launcher and it has the ability to hide apps. When you hide an app with One UI Home, it won’t appear in the list of apps—also known as the “app drawer.”
First, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the full app list.
Next, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top search bar and select “Settings.”
Now, go to “Hide Apps.”
Scroll through the list of apps and select any you would like to hide.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner when you’re done.
Those apps will no longer appear in the app drawer, but how can you find them? The simplest way is to use the Google Search widget or app to search for the app name. It will still show up there.
Hide Apps with Microsoft Launcher
Microsoft Launcher is very solid and it includes the ability to hide apps. You can even put the apps behind a pin for extra protection. The launcher is completely free to use.
After you install Microsoft Launcher and go through the setup process, swipe up on the home screen to reveal the full app list.
Next, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select “Hidden Apps.”
Tap “Hide Apps” to begin choosing the apps you would like to hide.
Select the apps you want to hide and tap “Done.”
Now you can stop here if you just want to remove these apps from the app list. If you’d like to take it a step further, tap the gear icon on the Hidden Apps page.
Here’s where you can protect the hidden apps with a password. Toggle on “Set Password” to proceed.
Enter a password with the number pad. You’ll be asked to enter it twice.
Now, to see your hidden apps, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select “Hidden Apps.” You’ll be asked to enter your password first. You can always add or remove items from the hidden apps by tapping “Hide Apps.”
These are both good solutions for hiding apps for different purposes. Whether you’re looking to simply clean up your app list or you want to hide apps for privacy reasons, you can do it with these Android launchers.
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