How to Hide Apps in Android - [100% No Root Required ]

You may have known different methods of hiding applications on your android devices but none of them came out to be legit and risk-free. 

Earlier to enable the hiding apps feature on your smartphone you were either required to root your device or to use other third-party launchers or themes in order to have this feature as a third-party theme setting.

But with the increasing demand from mobile users, various brands initiated to provide this feature with their default software or theme by integrating it within the mobile settings.

Today most of the brands are offering "hide apps" feature inbuilt with their device software. So you don't have to root your smartphone or use third-party launchers to do so.

Risks of Rooting your Smartphone :

1. WARRANTY IS VOIDED: If you have recently purchased your smartphone and it is under warranty and if you still decide to root your device then your warranty will get voided which means you will no longer be able to claim any free service from the company. So, in case any accidental damage happens you will have to repair it yourself somewhere else using paid service.

2. NO MORE SOFTWARE UPDATES: Once you root your smartphone you will not get any further software updates or OTA updates in the future. So, you will be stuck using the same software containing bugs and errors.

3. SECURITY WARNING: After rooting, your device will become more vulnerable to bugs & viruses and you might also lose control over your device or it might get hacked easily. Therefore your data such as your personal pieces of information will be at high risk.

It is always recommended not to root your device or use any third-party application from any unknown sources. Always use trusted software from a reputed brand or a company to keep your devices safe and secure.

Disadvantages of Using Launcher in Android

There are plenty of third-party launchers or themes available on the play store that offers loads of customization options including the hide apps feature. But there are some disadvantages of using them as well such as -

1. Data Privacy At Risk - Similar to other third-party applications these launchers too ask for user permissions in order to use them. Therefore if you are using any third-party launcher which is not from a well know or trusted company then you may risk your data privacy such as your videos, images, important documents, contacts, etc.

So, if your using any third-party launcher make sure it is from a trusted brand or a company.

2. Drains Battery - It's obvious that using any third-party launcher or theme will consume more battery than usual as it will occupy your phone storage, ram, and processor to operate, therefore your battery will drain quicker due to more resources being used.

3. Laggy Experience - Using any third-party launcher or theme that might not be optimized well for your device will ruin your overall user experience. You will experience lagginess if your mobile does not meet the minimum requirement to run it smoothly.

4. Heating Issue - Sometimes these third-party apps use resources ( ram, processor, etc) even if the device is not in use, therefore putting continuous stress on your phone which results in heating up your device.

5. Advertisement - Many Free launchers contain advertisements that get pretty annoying and frustrating sometimes when you are in a hurry or doing any important work.  

But there are few free launchers available in the play store which does not contain ads, So look for one which suits you best.

How to hide apps on Android?

So, without any further a due let's find out how to hide apps in android without rooting android smartphones or using 3rd party applications.

1. Go into your mobile settings and search for the "hide apps" or "app encryption" option by scrolling down or by simply searching it.

NOTE: Your smartphone device might be running on different operating systems or software depending on the brand. So you have to find it accordingly in your mobile settings.

In my smartphone settings, it is showing the "hide apps" option only So, I will show it accordingly.

2. Now click on the "hide apps" option. Right after a popup will show up on the screen asking to "set a privacy password first".

To set up the password tap on "Settings" and it will take you to a new window where you will create your own private password. This privacy password will be used whenever you try to access the setting.

Once the password is created,  it will then ask you to submit a security question ( as you can see in the image ) using which you can reset your password if forgotten and have access to the hidden apps.

Also, you can add a recovery email if you want.

3. Next, it will display all the apps installed on your device that you can hide.

Now select all the apps that you want to be hidden.

NOTE: When you do this process for the first time it will ask you to set an access code using which you can see all hidden apps using your phone dialer. 

When a popup appears on the screen saying you to "set access code" then tap on the settings and create your own access code.

Once, you create the access code you will be able to hide apps.

How do I find hidden apps on Android?

To view or access all apps that you have hidden before.

Open your phone dialer and enter the access code that you have made while setting it up.

FOR EXAMPLE- My access code was #1234#

How to turn off or disable hide apps settings in Android?

To Turn off or Disable the "hide apps" setting follow the steps given below

1. Again go to the mobile settings and search for "Hide Apps" .then click on hide apps and enter the privacy password to get access to the setting.

2. Now once you are in the hide apps setting click on the dots on the top right corner and then click on "Settings".

3. Then under the password section click on "Change privacy password settings". if asked enter your privacy password again.

4. Then under the "Password management" section .yo will see the "Turn off password" option.  Just click on it and a message may prompt saying that "Locked apps will be unlocked, hidden apps will be displayed on the home screen, and private safe can no longer be used " 

Simply click on "Turn Off" and again enter the privacy password if asked. That's it now you have successfully disabled the hide apps setting on your smartphone.