How to Hide Apps on Android Without Any Extra App

Knowing how to hide apps on Android is useful for lots of everyday reasons: keeping banking and work apps away from curious eyes, hiding a game from the kids, or just tidying a cluttered home screen. The good news is that you do not need to download a sketchy third-party app to do it. Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus and Xiaomi all ship built-in ways to hide apps, and every Android phone can disable preinstalled apps too.

One important warning first: hiding an app is not the same as locking it, and it is not the same as deleting it. Some methods only remove the icon — the app keeps running. Others put the app behind a real lock. This guide explains which method does what, so you pick the right one for your phone.

Method 1: Hide Apps on Samsung (Hide Apps + Secure Folder)

Samsung gives you two built-in options, and they do very different jobs.

Hide apps from the home and app screens

This is the quickest way to tidy up. It only removes the icon — the app stays installed and keeps working normally.

1. Long-press an empty part of your home screen and tap Home screen settings (or open Settings, then Home screen).
2. Tap Hide apps on Home and Apps screens.
3. Select the apps you want to hide, then tap Done.

The icons disappear from the home screen and app drawer, but the apps still run and still send notifications. Use this for decluttering, not for privacy.

Secure Folder for real privacy

For apps you genuinely want private, use Secure Folder, built on Samsung Knox encryption. It creates a locked, separate space on your phone, and you can move or copy apps into it. The folder itself can be hidden from the app drawer and given a custom name and icon.

1. Open Settings, then Biometrics and security, then Secure Folder.
2. Sign in with your Samsung account and set a PIN, pattern or fingerprint lock.
3. Tap Add apps and choose the apps to move or copy into the folder.
4. To hide the folder itself, open Secure Folder settings and turn off Show Secure Folder on Apps screen.

Secure Folder is the right choice when someone else regularly borrows your phone.

Method 2: Private Space on Pixel and Android 15+ Phones

Starting with Android 15, Google added Private Space, a native way to hide apps properly. It creates a separate, lockable container at the bottom of the app drawer. When it is locked, the apps inside are fully stopped and hidden — they do not appear in the app drawer, search, recent apps, share sheets or Settings.

1. Open Settings, then Security and privacy, then Private space.
2. Follow the setup steps and choose a lock — PIN, pattern or fingerprint. You can use a different Google account inside Private Space if you want.
3. Tap the + to install apps into Private Space, or install them from the Play Store while inside the space.
4. To hide the Private Space row itself, open Private Space settings and turn on Hide private space. You can then open it by searching for "private space" in Settings.

Private Space only works on phones running Android 15 or newer, and only if the phone maker has not disabled it. It also needs you to be signed in as the main user, not a guest or secondary user. If your phone does not have it yet, check for a system update first.

Method 3: Hidden Space on OnePlus

OnePlus phones have a built-in Hidden Space (listed as "Hide apps" in Settings on some models). Hidden apps disappear from the home screen, and their notifications and recent-app entries are hidden too.

1. Open Settings and search for Hide apps.
2. Select the apps you want to hide.
3. Set a privacy password. On some models you can also set a dial-pad access code, so you open Hidden Space by typing the code in the Phone app.

To open Hidden Space, use the access code or gesture for your model — check your OnePlus user manual for the exact step.

Method 4: Hide Apps on Xiaomi (and Redmi / POCO)

Xiaomi phones running MIUI or HyperOS have a built-in hide-apps feature under Privacy Protection.

1. Open Settings, then Privacy protection, then Hide apps (on some models it is under Apps, then App lock, then Hidden apps).
2. Select the apps you want to hide and confirm.
3. To open a hidden app, use a two-finger pinch-out gesture on the home screen, or open it from the hidden-apps area, depending on your MIUI or HyperOS version.

Xiaomi also offers App lock in the same menu, so you can both hide an app and lock it behind a PIN or fingerprint. Turn both on for the strongest protection.

Method 5: Disable Preinstalled Apps You Cannot Uninstall

Every Android phone comes with preinstalled apps you cannot uninstall — carrier apps, manufacturer apps and Google apps you never use. You can disable them, which removes the icon from the drawer and stops the app from running.

1. Open Settings, then Apps, then See all apps.
2. Tap the app you want to remove from view.
3. Tap Disable and confirm.

Disabled apps cannot run or update, and their icons disappear. Tap Enable on the same screen to bring one back. Never disable a system app you do not recognise.

Which Method Should You Use?

Your phone	Best built-in method	Real lock?
Pixel / Android 15+	Private Space	Yes
Samsung Galaxy	Secure Folder (private) or Hide apps (tidy only)	Yes, with Secure Folder
OnePlus	Hidden Space	Yes, with privacy password
Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO	Hide apps + App lock	Yes, with App lock
Any phone	Disable preinstalled apps	No, icon only

Remember the three levels. Icon only — Samsung Hide apps, launchers, disabled apps — just tidies the screen. Hidden and locked — Private Space, Secure Folder, Hidden Space — is real privacy. And nothing here hides apps from a work profile or company device management, so do not use these tricks on a managed work phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide apps on Android without downloading any app?

Yes. Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus and Xiaomi all include built-in hiding tools, and every Android phone lets you disable preinstalled apps. You only need a third-party launcher if your phone has none of these features.

Does hiding an app delete it?

No. Hiding only removes the icon from the home screen and app drawer. The app stays installed, keeps its data and can be unhidden any time. To remove it completely, uninstall it from Settings or the Play Store.

Is hiding an app the same as locking it?

No. Hiding removes the icon; locking asks for a PIN, pattern or fingerprint before the app opens. Private Space, Secure Folder and OnePlus Hidden Space do both. Samsung's simple Hide apps toggle only hides the icon, so anyone who opens Settings can still find the app.

Found this useful? Share it with someone whose home screen needs a clean-up — and tell us in the comments which phone you use.