In these days when everyone is worried about privacy, smartphones certainly do not let you sleep peacefully.
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 then if you forget the phone at someone’s home or if you lose it leaving it in strangers.
There are thousands of ways to protect content on the device and make it inaccessible to others, either in a strong and secure way or even in a light way, simply by hiding them.
In this guide, we discover how to hide applications, files, photos and folders on Android tablets and smartphones.
We have gathered here below all the best apps to effectively hide anything on our Android smartphones.
Some apps require root permissions to work properly, but there are also apps that work great even without root so they can be used without limits on any device.
These apps are able to effectively hide the icons of the app or the photos and videos in the gallery, hiding them in an encrypted database unlockable only with password, PIN, with unlock path or with fingerprints.
Sometimes apps also use “camouflage” systems to avoid being noticed and attracting attention.
Hide App-Hide Application Icon (root)
On Android to hide applications, the root of the mobile phone would be needed.
Only with the root can you hide apps from the general list using a tool like 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 icon from the app or we can leave it but have a fake crash message for the protected app, so only those who know the exact procedure and the secret PIN can actually access.
ES File Manager
Hiding files and folders instead is possible using an advanced file manager like ES File manager, available here -> ES File manager.
From the app just reach the folder with the photos or videos that you want to hide,
so just rename it with a dot(.) in front, giving as a name for example .my-photo.
To hide the files of a folder from the other applications it is enough to create a new file by naming it .name.
These files are visible in ES File Manager only by enabling the display of hidden files in the options.
This way you can hide the WhatsApp photo folder from the Gallery app.
File Hide Expert
If we look for an easy way to hide images, photos, videos and folders, you 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 hide, tap the small folder icon available in the upper right corner.
Add a file or folder to the list by touching the plus sign next to the name.
Now press the button that says Hide and all selected files will be hidden.
To review the files, open the application on your 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.
GalleryVault
A good app to hide the photos and videos saved in the image gallery is GalleryVault, available here -> GalleryVault.
Once opened, just select the photos or videos to hide, so as to make them disappear immediately from the gallery.
Supports password, PIN or fingerprint protection and allows you to synchronize hidden content in the cloud, so you never lose it even if the phone is formatted.
Hide it Pro
The most effective app to hide anything that should be kept hidden is Hide it Pro, available here -> Hide it Pro.
Once installed, simply choose a PIN, password or path to unlock and take advantage of one of the many options available to hide compromising apps or photos, videos or tracks in one tap.
It also offers an anonymous browser to use and is able to camouflage itself by modifying the icon and the “front” functionality: it can present itself as a completely anonymous (and functioning) audio mixer, but through secret taps we can access the request password or unlock to access the hidden material only when we are far from the spies.
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 to indicate the videos and images that we want to hide from the gallery app and system memory, protecting them with a password and a PIN.
At any time we can reopen the app, unlock the secret archive and review the hidden content away from prying eyes.
More apps to hide apps, photos and videos on Android
Another very modern app, easy to use, to hide photos and videos on an Android smartphone is Keepsafe where you can create a PIN to protect to prevent those who are not authorized to see some photos and some private videos.
An app that works very well to hide photos and videos is Galley Vault.
Without installing particular apps we can hide unwanted apps by adopting a launcher like Nova, which offers this possibility among its many functions.