Want to hide apps on your Android phone without installing any third-party app?
Good news — Android phones already have hidden options that let you hide apps completely from the home screen, app drawer, and search.
In this guide, you’ll learn the easiest and safest methods to hide apps on any Android device: Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, OnePlus, and more — all with no extra app required.
⭐ Method 1: Hide Apps from Home Screen & App Drawer (Built-in Feature)
Most modern Android phones have a built-in option to hide apps.
👉 Steps:
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Long-press on the home screen.
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Tap Home Settings or Settings (varies by brand).
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Look for Hide Apps, Hidden Apps, or App Lock & Hide.
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Select the apps you want to hide.
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Tap Done / Apply.
✔ Result
The selected apps will disappear from:
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Home screen
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App drawer
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Search bar
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Recent apps
Completely invisible without deleting them!
⭐ Method 2: Use “Secure Folder” (Samsung Phones Only)
If you use Samsung:
👉 Steps:
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Go to Settings
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Select Security & Privacy
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Tap Secure Folder
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Set a PIN or pattern
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Move apps into Secure Folder
Those apps will be totally hidden and locked behind a password.
⭐ Method 3: Hide Apps Using App Info (Rename + Disable Trick)
This trick works on all Android phones.
👉 Steps:
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Go to Settings
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Tap Apps
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Select the app you want to hide
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Tap Disable
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Confirm the action
✔ Result
The app will:
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Disappear
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Stop running
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Become fully hidden
Later, you can re-enable it anytime from Settings → Apps → Disabled Apps.
⭐ Method 4: Hide Apps from the Launcher (Nova / System Launchers)
Many default launchers include hidden app features.
👉 Steps:
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Long-press home screen
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Tap Settings
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Go to Apps drawer settings
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Tap Hide Apps
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Select the apps → Done
This hides apps without disabling them.
⭐ Bonus Trick: Rename Apps to Hide Them in Plain Sight
Instead of hiding, you can disguise an app.
👉 Steps:
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Long-press any app
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Tap Edit
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Change name to something boring like:
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“System Service”
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“Android Setup”
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Change icon to a blank icon (most launchers allow)
Now nobody will notice it!
🎯 Conclusion
Hiding apps on Android is very easy and can be done without installing any extra app.
Just remember these main methods:
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Hide Apps option in launcher
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Secure Folder (Samsung)
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Disable App trick
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Rename & disguise trick
Your apps will remain 100% invisible and private.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. Does hiding apps delete my data?
No. Hiding only removes them from view — your data stays safe.
Q2. Can I hide system apps?
Most systems don’t allow hiding system apps, but you can disable some of them.
Q3. How do I show hidden apps again?
Go to Home Settings → Hide Apps and unselect them.
Q4. Can I hide apps without disabling them?
Yes — use the Hide Apps feature built into Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, etc.
Q5. Will hidden apps still send notifications?
If you disable notifications, they stay quiet. Otherwise, some apps may still send alerts.
