In these days when everyone is concerned about privacy, smartphones certainly don't let you sleep soundly. In fact, anyone can take our smartphone in hand and open, for example, the photo gallery to find our shots or browse the applications and open them to spy on what we do.
Not to mention if you forget your cell phone at someone's home or if you lose it by leaving it in foreign hands.
There are thousands of ways to protect content on your device and make it inaccessible to others, either in a strong and secure way or even in a light way, simply by hiding it.
In this guide, we find out how to hide apps, files, photos and folders on Android tablets and smartphones .
READ FIRST: Hide secret and private photos on your mobile phone
We have collected all the best apps below to effectively hide anything that goes hidden on our Android smartphones.
Some apps require root permissions to work properly, but apps that work great even without root are also available so they can be used without limits on any device.
The reported apps are able to effectively hide the app icons or the photos and videos in the gallery, hiding them in an encrypted database unlockable only with passoword, with PIN, with unlock path or with fingerprints.
Sometimes apps also use "camouflage" systems to avoid being noticed and attract attention.
1) Hide App-Hide Application Icon (root)
On Android to hide applications, the root of the mobile phone would be needed.
Only with root can apps be hidden from the general list using a tool such as Hide App-Hide Application Icon, downloadable from here -> Hide App-Hide Application Icon .
Using this app we can effectively hide the presence of one or more apps, with the ability to unlock them only using a password or PIN.
2) Applock
Another app that we can use to hide apps but also videos and photos is Applock .
With this we can hide the app icon from view or we can leave it but activate a fake crash message for the protected app, so only those who know the exact procedure and the secret PIN can actually access.
3) My File Manager
Hiding files and folders instead is possible using an advanced file manager such as Mi File Manager .
From the app you can use the tool to hide folders or use a manual method: reach the folder with the photos or videos you want to hide, rename it with. in front, giving as a name, for example.
To hide the files of a folder from other applications instead just create a new file by naming it .nomedia .
These files are visible in ES File Manager only by activating the display of hidden files in the options. For example, this way you can hide the WhatsApp photo folder from the Gallery app.
4) Hide Expert file
If we are looking for an easy way to hide images, photos, videos and folders, we can install an app called File Hide Expert, available here -> File Hide Expert .
The first time you open the application, the list of files will be empty; to add a folder or file to be hidden, touch the icon of the small folder available in the upper right corner.
Add a file or folder to the list by tapping the plus sign next to the name.
Now press the button that says Hide and all the selected files will be hidden.
To review the files, open the application on the device and then tap the "Discover all" button.
From this application you could also create a password, so as to protect these files and folders from prying eyes.
5) GalleryVault
A good app to hide the photos and videos saved in the image gallery (both the shots taken and the photos exchanged on social and visible) is GalleryVault, available here -> GalleryVault .
Once opened, just select the photos or videos to be hidden, so as to make them disappear immediately from the view from the gallery.
It supports password, PIN or fingerprint protection and allows you to synchronize hidden contents in the cloud, so you never lose them even if you format your phone.
6) Hide it Pro
The most effective app for hiding anything that needs to be kept hidden is Hide it Pro, available here -> Hide it Pro .
Once installed, simply choose a PIN, a password or an unlock path and take advantage of one of the many options available to hide compromising apps or photos, videos or songs in one tap.
It also offers an anonymous browser to use and is able to camouflage itself by changing the icon and the "facade" functionality: it can be presented as a completely anonymous (and functional) audio mixer, but through secret taps we can access the password or unlock required to access hidden material only when we are far from snoops.
7) Vaulty
Another app to try absolutely to hide the videos and photos on the Android device is Vaulty, downloadable from here -> Hide Pictures & Videos - Vaulty .
The app offers a convenient gallery where you can indicate the videos and images that we want to hide from the gallery app and system memory, protecting them with a password and PIN.
At any time we can reopen the app, unlock the secret archive and review the hidden content protected from prying eyes.
Other apps to hide apps, photos and videos on Android
Another very modern, simple to use app to hide photos and videos on an Android smartphone is Keepsafe where you can create a security PIN to prevent those who are not authorized to view certain photos and certain private videos.
An app that works very well for hiding photos and videos is Galley Hide already described among the apps to manage the photo gallery on Android.
Without root, we covered in another article how to block the opening of applications on Android .
Without installing particular apps, we can hide unwanted apps by adopting a launcher like Nova, which offers this possibility among its many functions.
