Samsung Secure Folder creates a separate user-friendly partition on your phone where you can install apps and move files to either hide them or keep them separate from your main data. While setting up Secure Folder, one may think that Secure Folder doesn’t offer much. But if you dig down a bit, you will unearth the hidden features of Samsung Secure Folder. Don’t worry. We have done the hard work for you. Presenting you the best tips to use Samsung Secure Folder.
Table of Contents
1. Download New Apps Directly to Secure Folder
There’s no secret that you can add the apps installed on your phone to Secure Folder. But what’s interesting is that you can download new apps directly to Secure Folder. This is possible because of the presence of app stores i.e., Play Store and Galaxy Store within the Secure Folder. Thanks to this, you don’t need to uninstall the original app from the main Apps screen of your phone.
To access the Play Store on Secure Folder and to download new apps from it, follow these steps:
1. Open Secure Folder on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
2. Tap on the (+) icon at the top and press the Download from Play Store or Download from Galaxy Store button.
3. Search for the app that you would like to download, and install it like any other app. The app will be installed only in Secure Folder and not outside it.
2. Add App from Secure Folder to Home Screen
If you use Secure Folder for keeping work apps or using dual apps, you can add an app shortcut on your home screen as well.
Open Secure Folder and long press on the app that you want to add to the home screen. Then, tap on Add to Home from the menu. The app icon will show up on the home screen along with a small blue icon on it indicating that it’s an app from Secure Folder.
Tip: Learn how to add a website shortcut to the home screen on Android and iOS.
3. Hide Apps Within Secure Folder
My mind was blown when I discovered that you can hide apps within the Secure Folder as well. This privacy feature provides an extra layer of privacy to hide apps from others on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
To hide apps within Secure Folder, follow these steps:
1. Open Secure Folder and long press the app you want to hide.
2. Tap on Select.
3. If you want to hide more apps, select those apps, otherwise, tap on the Hide button to hide the selected app.
4. A confirmation pop-up will show up. Tap on Hide.
The hidden apps will be taken to the Add Apps screen where it will be shown at the bottom. So to unhide any app in the Secure Folder, tap on the (+) icon. Then, scroll down and select the app that you want to unhide from the Apps hidden in the Secure Folder section. Tap on Add.
4. Hide Secure Folder from Apps Screen
If you don’t want anyone to see that you have the Secure Folder installed on your phone, you can hide it from the Apps list. You can do it either from Settings or from Quick Settings.
Hide Secure Folder using Settings
1. On your phone, go to Settings > Security and privacy.
2. Tap on Secure Folder.
3. Then turn off the toggle next to Add Secure Folder to Apps screen.
This will remove Secure Folder from your apps list. To add it again, enable this toggle.
Pro Tip: You can also tap on the three-dot icon in Secure Folder and go to Settings. Then, turn off the toggle next to Add Secure Folder to Apps screen.
Hide Secure Folder using Quick Settings
If the above method seems a bit tedious, you can use the Quick Settings panel to hide or show Secure Folder as shown below:
1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel.
2. Swipe left until you see the Secure Folder tile. When the Secure Folder tile is blue, that means the folder is visible in your apps list. Tap on the tile to show or hide it from your apps list.
Tip: If the Secure Folder tile is missing, tap on (+) Add button. Then, drag the Secure Folder tile from the top panel to the bottom panel to add it to the Quick Panel. Also, check out the best apps to customize Quick Settings on Android.
5. Change Secure Folder App Name and Icon
Another way to hide Secure Folder is by changing its name and icon. You can use any name for the folder and also change its icon as shown below:
1. Open Secure Folder on your phone.
2. Tap on the three-dot icon and select Customize from the menu.
3. Enter the custom app name and choose an app icon and its color from the available options. Press the Apply button.
Pro Tip: To revert to the original name and icon, tap on Reset at the top.
Tip: Learn how to change app icons on a Samsung Galaxy phone.
6. Access Secure Folder from the Side (Power) Button
If you use Secure Folder frequently, you can access it quickly by pressing the Side/Power button twice on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
Follow these steps to enable this behavior:
1. Open Settings on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
2. Go to Advanced features followed by the Side button.
3. Enable the toggle next to Double press and select Open app.
4. Tap on the Settings icon next to Open app and select Secure Folder from the list.
Now, whenever you want to open Secure Folder, double press the Side/Power button.
7. Change Lock Type
Samsung offers many ways to lock/unlock your Secure Folder. You can set a PIN, password, pattern, or use Fingerprint.
To change the lock type, follow these steps:
1. Open Secure Folder and tap on the three-dot icon. Select Settings. Alternatively, go to the device Settings > Privacy and security > Secure Folder.
2. Tap on Lock type and choose the lock type of your preference.
8. Auto Lock Secure Folder When You Leave It
Typically, Samsung offers different ways to auto lock Secure folder. You can have it lock after 5, 10, or 30 minutes, or when the screen turns off. If you don’t want anyone to access your Secure Folder, you can have it locked immediately after you leave the app.
1. Go to Secure Folder Settings and tap on Auto lock Secure Folder.
2. Select Each time I leave an app.
9. Manually Lock Secure Folder
If you have set Secure Folder to lock using any other option than lock immediately like Lock after a few minutes or when the screen turns off, and you want to lock it, thankfully, you can lock Screen Folder manually as well.
For that, tap on the three-dot icon in Secure Folder and select Lock and exit.
Tip: Learn how to view saved passwords on Samsung Galaxy phones.
10. Customize App Notifications
By default, you will not be able to see the content of notifications from apps in Secure Folder. However, you can change this behavior and show notification content from Secure Folder apps. You can also select which app can send notifications in Secure Folder.
1. Go to Secure Folder Settings and tap on Notifications.
2. Turn off the toggle next to Hide content. Also, tap on App notifications to enable or disable notifications.
Tip: Know how to view old notifications on a Samsung phone.
11. Show App Icon Badges in Secure Folder
If you are a fan of app icon badges, you can have them shown in Secure Folder as well. Follow these steps to enable app icon badges in Secure Folder:
1. Go to Secure Folder Settings.
2. Tap on Other security settings followed by Advanced settings.
3. Enable the toggle next to App icon badges. Or, tap on the App icon badge text and select badge style.
12. Add Files From Gallery or File Manager to Secure Folder
Picture this: You are checking a photo in the regular Gallery app and want to move it to Secure Folder. Typically, you would open the Secure Folder first, navigate to the Add files option, and find the photo.
A better and faster approach is to add files from the regular Gallery or File Manager app itself. Open the photo in the Samsung Gallery app and tap on the three-dot icon. Select Move to Secure Folder. Similarly, you can add multiple photos or files from the File Manager app.
Tip: Check out the best Samsung Gallery features and tips.
13. Move Photos or Other Files Out of Secure Folder
Let’s say you have taken a screenshot in Secure Folder. If you want to share it, you can move it outside the Secure Folder to the regular gallery app.
For that, open the photo or any other file in Gallery or File Manager app in Secure Folder. Tap the three-dot icon and select Move out of Secure Folder. The file will show in the regular app from which it was taken out in Secure Folder.
14. Enable Developer Mode in Secure Folder
Did you know Secure Folder has its own Developer mode? Well, open the Secure Folder and just tap the Secure Folder title at the top at least 10 times. Voila! You will be greeted by Secure Folder’s Developer mode.
15. Reset with Samsung Account
In case you forget your Secure Folder’s PIN, Samsung lets you unlock it using your Samsung account credentials. However, you must have the feature enabled on your phone before you can use it.
1. Go to Secure Folder Settings and tap on Lock type.
2. Enable the toggle next to Reset with Samsung account.
Now, if you forget your PIN, tap on Forgot password and you will be asked to log in with your Samsung account.
Tip: Know how to sign out of your Samsung account on your phone and TV.
Hidden Samsung Features
Secure Folder is one of the amazing features present on a Samsung Galaxy phone. You also get other cool features like Edge Panel, hidden gestures, the ability to change call background, and much more.
