How to hide apps on Android without deleting them
To hide apps on Android without deleting them, use Hide apps on a Samsung Galaxy or Private space on Android 15 and newer. Both keep the app installed. They differ a lot in what they hide, and in whether the app keeps running.
Hiding is not disabling
Hiding removes an app’s icon from view. Disabling turns the app off. Google says that on some phones you can turn system apps off so they no longer appear in the list of apps, and that this is handled by the device maker. (Google: Disable apps)
Disabling is a blunt tool. It is for apps that came with the phone, it stops the app from working, and the Pixel steps are under Settings > Apps > All apps, then the Disable button. It is not a way to keep a banking or dating app private.
Samsung: Hide apps on Home and Apps screens
This is the simplest option. Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home screen, tap Settings, then tap Hide apps on Home and Apps screens. Tap the apps you want hidden, then Done. To bring one back, tap its red minus icon. (Samsung: Access and organize apps)
Samsung’s page does not name a One UI version, and says settings vary by phone and carrier. The limit is important: hidden apps still show up in the Apps screen search bar if someone types the name. Samsung’s page does not say whether notifications stop or whether the app leaves Settings > Apps, so assume it does not.
This is a tidy-up tool, not a privacy tool.
Android 15+: Private space
Private space is the real option. It needs Android 15 or later. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space, confirm your screen lock, then set a separate lock for the space. (Google: Private space)
When the space is locked, Google says its apps are completely stopped and hidden from the launcher, recent apps, sharing menus and Settings. They are not searchable in the quick search bar, and they cannot show notifications. When it is unlocked, they appear everywhere again.
Limits Google lists:
- No home screen widgets or shortcuts for these apps.
- No device backup of the space, and if you forget its lock you cannot get in.
- Apps that need to run in the background, like health tracking, stop working while locked.
- The space can still be detected through adb, device logs and some apps.
Some launchers may not support it, and the maker or an admin can turn it off.
Samsung Secure Folder
Secure Folder is Samsung’s older answer. Open it, tap Add apps, and pick the app. Samsung says you will see a copy of the app inside the folder. (Samsung: Use Secure Folder)
That copy has its own data, so it is a second install, not a hidden original. Samsung’s page does not say whether the original stays on your main Apps screen, so check yours and hide or uninstall the original if you want it gone. For how this compares with Private space, see Private space vs Secure Folder.
What about a Pixel or other stock launcher?
Google’s Pixel help pages describe no setting to hide a single app from the app drawer. The built-in route there is Private space, and a third-party launcher is the usual workaround. This is based on the pages found, not on testing every Android version.
What each option hides from
| Launcher | Search | Notifications | Settings app list | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Hide apps | Yes | No, Apps search still finds it | Not stated by Samsung | Not stated by Samsung |
| Private space (locked) | Yes | Yes | Stopped | Yes |
| Disable | Not stated | Not stated | App is off | Not stated |
Hiding apps is not hiding files
None of these protect what the apps created. Photos from a hidden app still appear in your gallery and file manager. For that, see where hidden photos live on Android.
If the real worry is private photos, videos or documents rather than icons, a vault covers files, not apps. VaultIt encrypts them on the device with AES-256-GCM, using a key from a drawn pattern, with a 12-word recovery phrase and no account. Nobody can reset the pattern, so keep the phrase safe.
Sources
- Samsung: Access and organize the apps on your Galaxy phone
- Android Help: Hide sensitive apps with private space
- Samsung: Use the Secure Folder on your Galaxy phone or tablet
- Android Help: Disable apps that came with your Android device
Quick answers
Can I hide apps on Android without deleting them? Yes. Samsung has Hide apps on Home and Apps screens. Android 15+ has Private space.
Can I hide apps on Android without disabling them? Yes. Samsung’s Hide apps setting leaves the app running. Private space stops apps while locked, which is closer to disabling.
Will a hidden app still send notifications? On Samsung’s Hide apps, Samsung does not say it stops them. In a locked Private space, it cannot.
Does hiding an app delete it? No. Hiding only removes the icon, and Private space apps stay installed. Google notes the space is not included in device backup.