How To Find Apps That Hide Things

How to Find Hidden Apps on Android

Do you want to know what your teenager or partner has been doing on the phone? If you smell something wrong with what they do on their gadget, it's time to learn how to find hidden apps on Android and reveal the secret.

Finding hidden apps on Android can be done within the snap of the fingers. But once you unhide the apps, don't forget to hide it again so your kid or partner will not notice that their secret has been unveiled. There are different ways to unhide the apps, so keep scrolling through the page and get it all.

How to Find Hidden Apps from the Settings App

The first method to find hidden apps on Android is through the Settings app. The steps are very simple and it allows you to see all apps which are set to hidden by users. To unhide apps from Settings, here are steps to do:

Go to Settings, navigate to Apps and select All.

navigate to Apps

You will see a list of applications installed on the device. Scroll down to scan the apps, find ones with 'Disable' sign.
Or, you can also tap 'All apps' options on the top of the screen and select 'Disable'.

select 'Disable' apps

The screen will show you a list of hidden apps on the device.
Once you see any suspicious or unfamiliar application, tap the app and choose 'Enable'. It will bring the app to the app drawer so you can easily access it.

Enable apps

Please remember once you enable the app, it will be displayed on the app drawer unless you hide it again. If you want to play detective, be sure to hide it after finding out any information about the activity with the suspicious apps. Find how to hide apps on Android at the end of the page.

How to Find Hidden Apps from the App Drawer

Another alternative to find hidden apps on Android is through the app drawer. What is an app drawer? It is the complete list of installed apps on the device which can be accessed by tapping the icon with four or six dots in the lower section of your screen.

Much like the previous method, this one is pretty easy and can be done within seconds. Follow these steps to find hidden apps through the app drawer:

Go to your app drawer.
In the upper-right corner of your screen, you will see a three-dot icon. Tap it.

Select Settings to open home screen settings. Navigate to Hide apps menu and tap.

Home screen settings

You will see app groups sorted by alphabets. Scroll down and scan if you see any app with a checkmark on the upper-left corner. That means the apps are hidden from the app drawer.

Hidden Apps

To unhide, uncheck the apps. It will bring them to the app drawer.

In some Android phones, you will see a blank page after tapping Hide apps. The screen will show only hidden apps, so it will remain blank when no apps are hidden.

Be Careful with Trick Apps

Spying on Android is full of tricks as there are many applications that look normal but it has different functions. For that reason, seeing only the app icon is not enough to find out what is happening on the device.

Smart Hide Calculator is a good example of this. It may look like a basic calculator but it is a file storage application. To decode the real function, you need to enter a specific PIN code. Of course, it keeps unwanted people from accessing what is inside the app. If everything looks normal in your partner's device but you see an unusual app, do the following steps to double-check:

Press and hold the app icon until you see a small menu.
Select the small 'i' icon to view the details. It shows you everything about the app. When the size is way larger than it should, there is something wrong with it.

How to Find Hidden Content on Android

Hidden apps are not the only thing you need to concern when spying on your teenager or mate. Android phones allow users to hide files and contents, so unwanted people cannot access it. To find hidden files, go through these steps:

Open File Manager.
Tap the Menu icon on the upper-right corner of your screen.
Select Settings, then tap "Show hidden files"

Show hidden files

Now you can go through the file list and check if there are any hidden files.

How to Hide Apps on Android

After knowing how to find hidden apps on Android, it is also important to learn how to hide apps on the device. Why is it important? When you find hidden apps and are curious to open it, you have to unhide it. If you let it unhidden, your kid or mate will know if an unwanted person is breaking into the device and you will feel bad for that. As a solution, make sure you know how to hide it.

There are several ways to hide apps on Android. This method will be the easiest to follow:

Open Settings, then choose Apps.
Tap the application you want to hide or disable.
After landing on the App Info page, select Disable.

Disable apps on android

When a confirmation message pops on your screen, tap Disable.
The app will disappear from the app drawer.

Besides using the Settings app, you can also use third-party apps to hide certain apps. You can do this only if there is a hiding app on the device. If it doesn't, the first choice will be the best. There are a bunch of choices of hiding apps such as Calculator Vault, Apex Launcher, and AppLock. How to use a hiding app is more complicated as it varies depending on the app that you use.

Alternative to Finding Hidden Apps on Android

Are you trying to find out what your kid or mate has been doing on the phone? Learning how to find hidden apps on Android can be a great way to know if they hide something from you. However, there are pros and cons of spying on others. Breaking into the device means violating others' privacy and it may cause a terrible effect on your relationship.

Additionally, it signs a lack of trust. Rather than spying on the device, it will be much better to use another approach such as intimate conversation. Use more time to talk to each other, so your kid will not spend time on their gadget. You can also have activities together with your partner for a stronger bond.

All in all, finding hidden apps on Android is a piece of cake. There are several methods that you can do, either through the Setting app or from the app drawer. And yet, breaking into someone's phone is not justified as it violates someone's privacy.