How to Hide Apps in Android from App Drawer

Even if our smartphones are lock protected, we all might have something to hide from others. There are many file manager apps available to help you in shielding the files that reside on your smartphone’s internal storage space. But things become quite tricky when it comes to hiding the apps. No launcher, except some stock ones (e.g., OnePlus’s OxygenOS). Well, there are many apps available; here are some of the methods to Hide Apps in Android from the App Drawer. 

You might also like: How to hide apps in OxygenOS

How to hide Apps in Android from App Drawer

You can adopt many ways to hide apps in Android Operating System running smartphone. There might not be a better solution than uninstalling if you do not want to install any other third-party apps or launchers.

  1. Disable bloatware apps
  2. Hide an App on android using Nova launcher
  3. Hide applications on Android with App Hider
  4. Hide Apps in non-Stock Android Phones

If they are bloatware, disabling would be helpful. However, there are many efficient solutions available to hide apps temporarily and reveal them whenever it is necessary. Let’s take a look at all the Android launcher which hide apps.

These methods to hide apps will work both on Android Pie and Android 10. It will also work on Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 which comes with stock android.

1] Disable bloatware apps

In case you find out that the apps you want to hide cannot be uninstalled, it is better to disable them if you do not use them frequently. Here is how.

  • From your smartphone, go to Settings > Apps.
  • Choose “All” to see every app on your phone.
  • Select the app you want to disable.
  • Tap “Disable.”

It will uninstall the previous updates and disable the app. The app will not be visible anymore.

2] Hide using Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher, one of the best launcher apps for Android smartphones, come with an inbuilt feature that allows you to hide apps. The app can hide the app from the app drawer, and it is easy o access them later also. Here is how.

Hide apps in Nova Launcher

  • Install and make the Nova Launcher as default launcher for the smartphone home screen.
  • After setting up, go to the home screen and open Nova settings.
  • Tap on App & Widget Drawer settings.
  • Under the Drawer section, tap on “Hide Apps” and choose the apps you want to hide.
  • Tap on three dots (option) and enable “Show hidden apps.”

You can go back to the app drawer and can find that the apps are not listed. But you can open them easily by searching.

Note: This is available only in the premium version.

3] Using App Hider

App Hider is a useful utility app used to hide applications from your smartphone UI. Unlike official app hiding apps, this works as an app cloner for your smartphone. When you choose any app to be hidden, it creates a clone inside the App hider. You can uninstall the original version instantly. Anyways, the cloned version will remain within App Hider, and you can access anytime using a passcode. It will make sure to hide apps from the app drawer.

App Hider Android App

The app can also impersonate a calculator app to stay completely anonymous. The password needs to be entered in the calculator window to open the hidden vault within. It can also hide videos, photos, other files, other than just apps. You can set a private desktop for a better user experience with hidden apps.

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4] Hide Apps in non-Stock Android Phones

Every OEM OS, i.e. MIUI, ColorOS, FunTouch OS, offers their way to hide apps on those phones. For example, Vivo Phones, which come with FunTouch OS, comes with iManager apps. It can hide apps from the app drawer and reveal via password lock using gestures. Similarly, OnePlus’s Oxygen OS also offers to protect apps. So you need to figure out if your OEM offers an in-built feature that can hide apps.

These are the best ways to hide Apps in Android from the App Drawer. Enjoy using your Android smartphone in secret.

About the author

Akhil G

Skilled technology writer and widely-read journalist. Social media Influencer, FB India Media Partner. Managing multiple news portals and writing for many. Google Hall Of Fame award winner. Youth Icon of the year - Government of Kerala 2018.