If you have a Galaxy phone with the interface One UI complete (not Core One UI, which equips entry-level phones), it has a very useful feature focused on privacy. It is the Secure Folder, an access on the phone that requires an additional access password, and can hide media, calendar, contacts, browser, files in general, notes, and everything else you want.

Samsung Secure Folder security is provided by Knox protocol — also from the company, which aims to encrypt data. One possibility not always explored in the tool is the possibility of making your shortcut even more discreet. There is no need to use the icon and name by which the application is known — it is possible to customize it in a way that only you would recognize.

1. How to camouflage the secure folder

The procedure is relatively simple and you can get creative here. If you've already accessed Secure Folder before, simply click on the menu in the top right corner of the app's home screen to get started. Then, go to Customize.

This way, you can choose between 12 generic icons. You can also rename the secure folder. This is useful for hiding the tool from the eyes of strangers. For example, you can rename it to Settings and use the gear icon. Or, select the chat image and name the shortcut Messages. This is how the shortcut will appear in the list of apps from this choice.

2. How to hide Secure Folder from the apps list

It is also possible, on Samsung Galaxy devices that support Secure Folder, to simply remove its shortcut from the list of apps. This way, it will only be accessible through the device's settings — via the “Biometrics and security” menu. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open Secure Folder
• Expand the menu and select “Settings”
• Uncheck the option “Show icon on Apps screen”

And that's it! To reactivate shortcut access, simply access Secure Folder on your Samsung Galaxy through the settings, and go to the settings menu again.

3. How to hide an app in the Secure Folder

As we mentioned, you can put whatever you want in the Secure Folder. In the interface, just press the “+” button and browse through your list of apps — or search for new software in the Play Store or Galaxy Store.

It is worth noting that when you add an app here, it creates a zero copy of the service. In other words, if you are trying to hide Instagram in the Secure Folder, you will need to configure the login once again. Want to hide your internet banking apps? Same process — including possible revalidation of access by the bank's digital security mechanisms.

Therefore, basically, hidden copies of apps in Secure Folder do not communicate under any circumstances with the data of the same application that is outside of it. In other words, they are basically new, autonomous installations of the same service.

4. How to hide files in Secure Folder

There are several ways to hide media files or not in the Secure Folder. From the Samsung app itself, just go to the menu and select “Add files” and define whether they will be images, videos, audio, text documents — or anything else (My Files). The interface expands to select which materials will be copied for special access.

Another way is to select an image from the native media gallery and go to the sharing menu. One option is the Secure Folder itself. If you want to keep a photo or video exclusively with special access, you will need to delete it from the regular gallery after the transfer.

Finally, Secure Folder has its own camera access. Any photos or videos taken here are transferred directly to Samsung's special access.

5. How to receive notifications from hidden apps

By default, you won't receive notifications from apps you've hidden in Secure Folder. But you can change that. After all, if you're talking about a messaging or banking app, it's important to keep up with updates. Follow these steps:

• Expand the Secure Folder menu and select “Settings”
• Select “Notifications & Data”
• Check the “Show content” option

If you choose not to receive notifications from specific apps, expand the “App Notification” submenu and manually select which apps will continue to display alerts and which ones will not.

Final observations

Secure Folder is an ally of user privacy, being able to hide sensitive apps and files from prying eyes, and reducing the chances of major headaches after a theft or assault. Unfortunately, it is not available for Samsung phones that run One UI Core, that is, for many smartphones. A Galaxy and Galaxy M.

It is important to note that the user will need to create a PIN or password even if they allow the app to be unlocked using digital biometrics. After restarting the phone, it is necessary to enter it. So, it is good to keep this additional access data in mind — and never write it down in the external apps of the Folder.