How to Find Hidden Apps on Your Android Phone

Just as you can disable apps or keep them out of sight for privacy, manufacturers can also hide apps. How can you find these hidden apps on your Android device? Keep in mind that Android phones are not the same, so in some cases you will have to perform a few different steps, but you will end up in the same place: Find out all the apps installed on your Android phone.

From settings

Even if you don’t see their icon on your phone’s various desktop screens, an easy and effective way to find them may be to go to the specific app menu in your phone’s settings. So go to settings > Apps to see the list.

On some phones it is possible to find an additional filter that filters you by installed/disabled/all or just displays their status. We are interested in seeing them all.

with special access

You do not have to leave the previous screen. In Settings > Applications, you will see three dots in the upper right corner. Tap on it and you will find an option called “special access“.

With this option, applications are broken down by the privileges they have on your phone. So, if you click on “Access all files”, all applications that can use your digital files will appear. However, you can also filter by image access, Wi-Fi control, notifications… it’s the most effective way to narrow down what you want to make your search more productive.

From the app drawer

Maybe the files you are looking for are closer than you think and you can even find them on your desktop, especially from app drawer, which is the drop-down screen that appears when you swipe up on your phone’s home screen. Pay special attention to the folders, because due to their design it is easy for the contents to slip through.

When you are on this screen, click on the three dots in the upper right corner. From here it is possible to access both “Sort” (useful for seeing what you have) and “Settings”. Enter the latter option, as it will take you to a section called “Hide apps on home and app screens“, where you can see what you have hidden.

With a file explorer

Generally, Android devices have a file manager that gives you better control about what you have installed on your phone, in my case it’s called “My Files”. However, if you don’t like the one that comes by default, you can always install other file explorers.

Once inside, you will be able to access a list of categories and tools, as well as other information about your phone. In this sense, you will find programs installed on your devices, either from the Google Play Store or with APKs. What is good is that if there is something you are not interested in, you can uninstall it from here

Of course, the file manager doesn’t always show system apps which are part of the basic functions of the device, i.e. it will be used to find applications that users or the manufacturer have installed.

With another launcher

And your phone’s current interface design is insufficient As for displaying information, you can always install another launcher that better suits your needs, with consolidated examples such as Microsoft Launcher or Nova Launcher, from the best of Google Play.

Without going any further, Microsoft’s launcher has with a hidden apps tab in your app drawer and also shows the ones you use the most.

Beware of deceptive apps

Android users have different ways to hide their apps and files on the device, ranging from hiding the app, creating a folder, and cover applications.

The best example is Calculator Photo Vault (download it here on the Google Play Store), an app that looks like a calculator but it’s actually a virtual safe where to hide your photos, videos and other files under this guise and a barrier to entry such as a password.

Home | Eva Rodriguez de Luis with Midjourney