Private Space vs Secure Folder: which should you use?
Android’s Private space and Samsung’s Secure Folder both give you a locked area for apps and files. They behave differently. For the wider picture, see how to hide photos on Android.
Availability
Private space needs Android 15 or later. Google’s help page also says it is only for the main user of the device (not a guest or secondary user), and that a manufacturer or admin can disable it. So “Android 15” does not guarantee you have it.
Secure Folder is Samsung’s own feature, and it only exists on Samsung phones that support it. Per Samsung’s support page, if your device does not support it, it does not appear in the menu.
On Samsung phones, Samsung’s own support pages describe Secure Folder, not Private space. If your Galaxy shows both, check which one your photos are actually in.
Setup and locking
- Private space: go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space, confirm your screen lock, tap Set up, then pick a lock: your screen lock or a new one. Google recommends a dedicated Google account, since one used elsewhere can expose synced data outside the space.
- Secure Folder: sign in with a Samsung account, then choose a pattern, PIN or password, plus fingerprint if you like. Turn on Reset with Samsung account while you are there (more on that below).
Private space can lock automatically when the device locks, after five minutes, or only after a restart.
How they hide
Private space. Google says that when it is locked, its apps are fully stopped. They cannot run in the background or show notifications. They are hidden from the app list, recents, search, the share sheet and Settings. Notifications appear only while the space is unlocked. A separate option, Hide private space when it’s locked, hides the space entry itself. Google is clear it is not invisible: someone who installs apps or reads device logs may still notice it.
Secure Folder. You can remove its icon from the Apps screen, or hide it with a Quick Settings toggle. Samsung’s page says a setting lets notifications from secured apps appear while the folder is locked, so check it.
What happens to your files
In both, you copy or move files in from main storage. In Private space they land in its Downloads folder, and a move deletes the original. App data cannot be moved across, so apps install fresh inside. If you uninstall Secure Folder, its contents go with it unless you move media out first.
Backup and a new phone
Neither is a safety net.
- Private space: Google says on-device private space data is not backed up, and restoring a device backup does not restore it.
- Secure Folder: Samsung says backing up Secure Folder data is no longer supported. On Android 16 with One UI 8 or higher, restoring old backups is also not available (Samsung). To move it to a new phone, Samsung points to Smart Switch.
If you forget the lock
Private space has no recovery. Google says you cannot get back in, and the only route is Settings > System > Reset options > Delete private space, which removes the apps and their on-device data.
Secure Folder can be recovered only if you turned on Reset with Samsung account. If you did not, Samsung says you have to remove the folder and set up a new one.
The limits
| Private space | Secure Folder | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | Android 15+, main user | A supported Samsung phone |
| Account | Optional Google account | Samsung account |
| Separate lock | Yes, or screen lock | Yes |
| Hides apps | Yes, stopped while locked | Yes, with settings to check |
| Backup | None | No new backups; Smart Switch to move |
| Forgot lock | Delete the space | Samsung account reset if enabled |
Both are access control. If you reuse your screen lock and someone knows it, that is all they need. Neither helps if you are forced to unlock, or if the phone is lost. On Samsung specifically, see how to hide photos on Samsung.
When a vault app fits
If you want the files themselves encrypted, with a lock that is not tied to your phone and a copy you control, a vault app is a different tool. VaultIt encrypts photos, videos and documents on the device with AES-256-GCM, using a key from a drawn pattern (Argon2id). You get a 12-word recovery phrase, an encrypted backup file you save wherever you like, and an optional hidden second vault with its own pattern. There is no account and no ads. One trade-off: uninstalling VaultIt or clearing its data deletes the vault, so only a backup kept off the phone survives. The built-in options are free and enough for many people; see what VaultIt offers.
Which to pick
- You have a Pixel or another Android 15+ phone and want apps hidden: Private space.
- You have a Samsung phone and want a separate lock today: Secure Folder, with Reset with Samsung account switched on.
Sources
- Hide sensitive apps with private space (Google)
- Use the Secure Folder on your Galaxy phone or tablet (Samsung)
- Cannot backup Secure Folder (Samsung)
Quick answers
Does Samsung have Private space? Samsung’s support pages only describe Secure Folder, its own locked area. Use that on a Galaxy.
Does Private space show notifications? Only while unlocked. Locked, its apps are stopped.
Can I back up either one? Not reliably. Private space is not backed up, and Secure Folder no longer supports backups.