How to Hide Apps on Android Devices

Ever wanted to hide apps from prying eyes? Well, we wouldn’t be surprised if you have because there are a number of reasons to hide apps. For instance, you have a personal app installed on your device, say a dating app, which you don’t want others to see. While you can always lock apps on Android, people still get to see the app, and as we all know, the world can be pretty judgmental. So, if you have been thinking of ways to hide applications on Android, we have some good news for you. Here are multiple ways to hide apps on Android devices.

Hide Apps on Android Devices (Updated July 2020)

Of late, Android skins are shipping with a native ability to hide apps. You don’t need root or have to disable the apps to hide your crucial apps on Android. Here, we have mentioned the native methods wherever applicable and a generic method for all Android devices. You can go through the steps from the link below.

1. Hide Apps on OnePlus Android Devices
2. Hide Apps on Xiaomi (Mi/Redmi/POCO) Android Devices
3. Hide Apps on Realme Android Devices
4. Hide Apps on Samsung Android Devices
5. Hide Apps on Any Android Device Using Launcher
6. Hide Apps Without Changing Launcher
7. Hide Apps on Rooted Smartphones

Remove Apps from App Drawer

1. Hide Apps on OnePlus Android Devices

1. Swipe up from the home screen to open the launcher menu. Now, swipe right and a “Hidden Space” will open up. Here, press the “+” button.

2. Now, select the apps that you want to hide on your Android device. You can also tap on the 3-dot menu and enable a password to access the hidden apps.

2. Hide Apps on Xiaomi Devices (Mi/Redmi/Poco)

1. Open Settings and move to Apps -> App Lock.

2. Next, swipe left and move to the “Hidden Apps” section located on top. Here, enable the toggle for the apps that you want to hide. That’s it.

3. Hide Apps on Realme Android Devices

1. Open Settings and move to Privacy -> App Lock.

2. Now set a privacy passcode if you have not done that already.

3. Now, tap on the app that you want to hide (I am hiding Photos app for this example) and enable the toggle for password verification. Once you do that, an option for hiding the homescreen icon will reveal itself. Just enable the toggle and you will be done.

4. Hide Apps on Samsung Devices

1. Swipe up to open the App Drawer and tap on the 3-dot menu located on the top-right corner. Here, open Home screen settings.

2. Move to the “Hide App” menu. Here, select the apps that you want to hide and tap on “Done”. You are done.

5. Hide Apps on Any Android Device (Stock Android, Motorola, Asus, Pixel, LG)

If you don’t have a native feature to hide apps on your Android device then you will have to use a third-party launcher. Here, we are going to show you how to hide apps using Lawnchair. That said, keep in mind, it’s not a surefire solution as anyone can invoke the app from the Play Store app. So to fully guard the hidden apps, you should also use an App Locker on your Android device. Having said all of that, let’s now go through the steps.

1. First of all, download Lawnchair (Free) and install it on your Android device.

2. Next, tap and hold on the home screen and open “Home Settings”. Now, move to the “Drawer” section.

3. Here, tap on “Hidden App Shortcuts” and select the apps that you want to hide. Instantly, those selected apps will be hidden from your Android device. That’s pretty simple, right?

6. Hide Apps Without Changing Launcher

If you don’t want to change your launcher to hide apps then you can use an ingenious way to disguise the app in the app drawer. You can simply change the icon image to a common app (like Calculator or Dialer app) so that no one can get a whiff of your app. This way, the app will be there in the app drawer but hidden in plain sight. Here is how you can do it.

1. Download X Icon Changer (Free) and install it.

2. Now, select the app and choose an icon from its library and tap the “Ok” button. It will now change the icon image from the app drawer.

Note: If you are running Android 9 or 10 then it can’t change the icon image in the app drawer. Instead, it will create a new shortcut on your home screen with a new image. If you want to hide apps on Android 9/10 then you will need root and you can find the steps below.

7. Hide Apps on Android Devices [Root Required]

1. First of all, install Hide App (Free) and on the first run, grant the root permission.

2. Next, tap on the “+” button and select the app that you want to hide. After that, tap on the “Hide” button.

3. Now, open the default launcher and you won’t find the blocked app. In fact, the app will become unaccessible from the Play Store as well. For example, here you can’t find the Netflix app.

Keep Your Apps Away from Prying Eyes

So that is how you can hide apps on Android devices. We have mentioned steps for different Android devices and also a generic method that applies to all Android devices. I would say if your smartphone ships with a native hidden app feature then use it fully to your advantage. Anyway, that is all from us. If you are facing any problem then comment down below and let us know.