5 ways you can hide apps on your Android phone or tablet

Most first-party launchers on Android phones and tablets come with a built-in tool for hiding apps. If you own a Samsung, Poco, Realme, or Xiaomi phone, go to the launcher settings to find the option.

This option is called Dialer for Realme, Oppo, and OnePlus phones, whereas it can be accessed from the Settings app for Samsung devices. If you are using a Xiaomi device, the option is called 'Hidden apps' and can be found by searching for it in the Settings app.

If your Android phone or tablet has no built-in option to hide apps, you can download popular third-party launchers like Nova, Apex and Microsoft Launcher. These launchers let you quickly hide apps from the home screen as well as the app drawer. If you want to make an app less suspicious without actually hiding it, you can change the app icon and name using these third-party launchers.

Another way to make an app less visible is to move it to a folder. Some first-party launchers and most third-party launchers, like Nova, allow users to create app folders in the app drawer. While this may not be as secure as the methods above, it is one of the easiest ways to make an app slightly less visible.

If you don't want to use any of the methods mentioned above, you can always install third-party apps from the Google Play Store. Most of these apps are free and allow you to hide apps behind secure authentication mechanisms like fingerprint, password, pattern, or PIN.

Similar to Windows and Mac-powered PCs, most Android devices let you create multiple user profiles, with each account having separate settings, apps, and data. While the option to create user profiles may differ between devices, you can find it on most phones by searching for the phrase 'Multiple users' in the Settings app.