Do you want to know what your teen or significant other has been doing on their phones? If you feel something is amiss with what they’re doing on their device, you should understand how to identify hidden apps on Android and uncover the truth.
With Android, it is possible to locate hidden programs with the tap of a finger. Yet, once you have unhidden the programs, you must remember to hide them again so your child or partner does not realize their secret has been disclosed. There are various methods to reveal the apps, so continue to scroll down the page to see them all.
1. Locate Hidden Apps in the Settings App
On Android, the first place to look for secret apps is in the Settings menu. With these simple techniques, you can see any apps that the user has hidden. Here’s how to bring hidden apps back into view in Settings:
- Navigate to Settings, go to Applications, and then select All.
- You will see a list of installed applications on the device. Find apps with a ‘Disable’ indicator by scrolling down and examining them.
- Alternatively, you can hit ‘All apps’ at the top of the screen and select ‘Disable’.
- The screen will provide a list of the device’s hidden applications.
- After you see a suspicious or unfamiliar program, tap it and select “Enable.” That will move the app to the app drawer, making it accessible.
Please note that once the app is enabled, it will remain visible in the app drawer unless you hide it again. If you wish to play sleuth, make sure to conceal whatever information you discover about the questionable apps’ behaviour. Learn how to conceal Android applications at the bottom of this page.
2. Locate Hidden Applications in the App Drawer
The Android app drawer is an alternative method for locating hidden apps. Tap the icon with four or six dots in the lower portion of your screen to get the complete list of installed apps. Similar to the previous procedure, this one is simple and can be completed in a matter of seconds. Follow the instructions below to locate hidden apps in the app drawer:
- Open the app drawer.
- You will find a three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. Tap it.
- To access the home screen settings, select Settings. Move to Hide Apps menu option and press it.
- The app groupings will be alphabetized. Check for any apps with a check mark in the upper-left corner as you scroll down. This indicates that the apps are hidden from the app drawer.
- To unhide, deselect the apps’ checkboxes. It will place them in the application drawer.
For some Android phones, tapping Hide apps will result in a blank page. The screen will only display hidden applications, therefore it will be blank if none are hidden.
3. Be Cautious of Trick Apps
Android spying is notoriously dishonest due to the prevalence of seemingly innocuous apps that actually include malicious code. So, it is not possible to tell what is happening on a smartphone based solely on the app icon.
Among the best examples of this is Smart Hide Calculator. It looks like a calculator, but it’s really just a file organizer. A secret PIN code must be supplied in order to unlock the true function. As one might expect, this safeguards the privacy of app users by thwarting their attempts to see restricted material. If your significant other’s phone seems to be functioning normally, but you’ve seen a peculiar app on it, you should double verify the following.
- Press and hold the application icon until a small menu appears.
- Choose the ‘i’ icon to view the information. It provides an exhaustive overview of the app. When the size is significantly larger than it should be, something is wrong.
4. Detect Hidden Content on Android
When spying on a child or a partner, hidden applications are not the only factor to consider. Android phones enable users to conceal files and data from unauthorized parties. To locate hidden files, follow these steps:
- Open File Manager.
- Tap the Menu icon in the screen’s upper-right corner.
- Choose Settings and then click “Show hidden files”
- Now you can examine the file list to determine whether there are any hidden files.
5. Alternative to Find Hidden Apps on Android
Do you want to know what your kid or a friend of yours has been up to on their smartphone? Learn how to find Android’s hidden apps to see if they are hiding anything from you. Yet, spying has both positive and negative outcomes. Breaking into someone else’s smartphone is a serious invasion of privacy that could have serious consequences for your relationship.
It’s also a sign of distrust on both sides. It would be much more efficient to have a one-on-one conversation with the user than than spy on the device. Spend more time talking to your kid so they put down the smartphone. When you do things together with your partner, you enhance your bond.
Bonus Tip on How to Hide Android Apps
Knowing how to hide apps on Android is just as important as being able to find them. In what ways is it crucial? Whenever you find a hidden app you wish to use, you’ll need to unhide it before you can launch it. Your child or partner will know if an unwanted person is breaking into the device if you don’t hide it. Make sure you know how to keep it hidden as a precaution. There are multiple techniques to conceal Android applications. This procedure will be the simplest to implement:
- Launch Settings, then select Applications.
- Tap the application that you wish to disable or hide.
- Choose Disable after landing on the App Info screen.
- Tap Disable when a confirmation message appears on your device.
- The application will be removed from the app drawer.
To conceal applications, you don’t need to rely just on the Settings app. In order to accomplish this, a covert app must be loaded into the mobile device. If not, then go with the first choice. Calculator Vault, Apex Launcher, and AppLock are just a few of the many apps available for hiding software. It’s more complicated to figure out how to use a hidden app because the process varies from one app to the next.
Conclusion
Finding secret Android apps is generally simple. The app drawer and the Settings menu both provide access to a variety of options. Yet it’s not right to invade someone’s privacy by hacking into their phone.
