How to hide and unhide apps on Android phones

Hiding and unhiding apps on Android phones is simple, and that's exactly what I'm going to teach you using my Tecno Spark 10 5G in this guide. The major purpose of hiding apps on Android is to protect personal privacy, reduce clutter on your home screen, and prevent unauthorized access or accidental changes to sensitive tools.

But before we dive into the hiding and unhiding, I want you to take note of the requirements. It's not every android devices out there can hide and unhide apps. First of all, your android phone must the built-in systems that can handle the settings. The built-in systems include:

• Compatible software: Android 10 or newer usually has this built-in.
• Biometric verification: Setup PIN, password, fingerprint, or face unlock to secure the hidden folder.
• Launcher compatibility: You must use the phone's default home screen launcher.

If your phone brand does not have a built-in option, then you will need to use a custom launcher. You can install a launcher like Nova Launcher Prime or Microsoft Launcher from the Google Play Store. Some launchers require a paid "Pro" upgrade or digital ads to unlock the app-hiding feature. Another thing you should also understand is that you must set the third-party launcher as your phone's default home screen for it to work.

With that being said, I'm going to use my Tecno Spark 10GO 5G for the sake of this tutorial. The phone AndroidOS is version 13, as shown in the screenshot below. Technically, the phone is built with all the required features that allows me to hide and unhide apps without downloading any third-party launcher.

How to hide apps on Android

Infinix/Tecno XHide

Follow these steps to successfully hide apps on your Android phone:

• First of all, make sure that your phone is on the home screen.
• Spread two fingers apart on the home screen and swipe them up to open XHide.
• From the XHide, you can set your preferred password and add the apps you want to hide. 
  
• To hide apps, tap “Hidden apps” and use the plus “+” button to choose the app you want to add, as shown in the image above.

Google Pixel

However, it's important to note that this method I showed you only work for Tecno and Infinix XHide. The method to hide and unhide apps are different on other android devices. For instance, Google Pixel, Motorola, and devices running stock software (Android 15+) use the native Private Space container to hide and unhide apps.

You can simply open the Settings > Security & privacy. Then tap the “Private Space” under the Privacy tab, and authenticate with your screen lock and complete the Google account setup. To view or add apps, swipe to the very bottom of your app drawer and tap the Lock icon.

Samsung

If you're a Samsung user, you have two options to hide and unhide apps on your device, depending on whether you want casual hiding or secure protection.

To visually hide from layout:

• Long-press any empty space on your Home screen and tap Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Hide apps on home and app screens.
• Select your chosen apps and tap Done.

To lock them securely (Secure Folder):

• Navigate to Settings > Security and privacy > Secure Folder.
• Log into your Samsung Account and set up a unique PIN or fingerprint.
• Open the Secure Folder from your app drawer and tap the + (plus) icon to hide apps inside.

Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO

These devices use HyperOS and MIUI, respectively. Xiaomi embeds its layout concealment tools directly inside its native utility apps.

To use the hide/unhide feature in the device:

• Open the pre-installed Security app.
• Scroll down to the Common features or tools section and select Hide apps.
• Toggle on the switches for the applications you wish to conceal.
• To view hidden apps: Go to your home screen and perform a two-finger pinch-out gesture (spread two fingers apart).

How to Unhide apps on Tecno/Infinix

Like I have explained earlier that my Spark 10 5G is what I'm going to be using as the practical guide in this tutorial, the other phones' hidden apps features are added according to information on verified sources. To Unhide apps on your Android phone, follow these steps:

• Use your two fingers, widely opened, and swipe up your home screen, just as you did when you want to hide the apps. This action will trigger the XHide feature.
• Select “Hidden Apps” and tap the three-dot menu at the top of the page, as shown in the image below.
• Tap “Select” and choose the app you want to Unhide. 
  
• Tap “Export” at the bottom of the page and the app will be exported back to your device.

The Freezer vs XHide

If you're wondering that you can also use the Freezer feature in your Android phone to hide your apps, well, it's possible but the Freezer is not actually hiding your apps, it's just hibernation them. Both the Freezer and XHide features are proprietary built-in utilities found on Transsion-manufactured Android devices like Infinix (XOS) and Tecno (HiOS).

The main difference is that Freezer maximizes phone performance by putting apps to sleep, while XHide maximizes user privacy by locking sensitive apps and media behind a password. Use the table below to get more information about how Freezer and XHide work:

Feature Comparison	App Freezer ❄️	XHide 🔒
Primary Purpose	Device optimization, RAM management, and battery saving.	Absolute privacy, encryption, and hiding content.
Security Lock	No password required. Anyone can open it to see the apps.	Secure passcode, pattern, or fingerprint verification required.
App State	Hibernated/Disabled. Suspends background processes entirely.	Active but hidden. Runs normally unless manually restricted.
Notifications	Completely blocked until you manually "unfreeze" the app.	Displays normal notifications (unless hidden or muted in system settings).
Supported Content	Applications only.	Apps, photos, videos, contacts, and SMS messages.
How to Access	Via the Freezer icon on your home screen or through Phone Master.	Swipe up with two fingers or dial a special keycode (e.g., ##password##).