Hiding Apps: Airport Security And Privacy Tips

If you're worried about someone snooping on your phone when you're connected to public Wi-Fi at an airport, you can hide apps on your phone. This can be done on an Android phone by going to Settings, selecting the apps you want to hide, and then tapping 'Hide apps'. You can also enable a password to prevent anyone from swiping over to the Hidden Space.

How to hide apps on Android

Hiding apps on your Android phone can be done in a few different ways. One way is to open Settings and search for 'Hide apps'. If this setting doesn't appear, you can navigate through Android's default settings. You can also create a folder on your home screen by long-pressing an app icon and dragging it onto another app icon. This will create a folder containing both apps, and you can add more apps to the folder by dragging and dropping them in.

To hide apps from your main space, you can lock your private space. When the space is locked, the private space collapses and the apps are hidden in All Apps and various operating system (OS) surfaces. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock. If no private space lock was set up, the device screen lock is used by default.

You can also open Settings, tap Apps, and select the app you want to disable, then tap Disable. All of your previously hidden or disabled apps will appear when you open Settings and tap Apps.

Another way to hide apps is to install a third-party app launcher from the Play Store. These apps are completely safe to use and allow you to hide apps temporarily from your home screen. For example, a calculator-like app allows you to hide apps, and the hidden app is displayed when the right arithmetic answer (which is the password) in the calculator is entered.

How to hide apps on iPhone

Hiding apps on your iPhone can be a great way to add a layer of privacy and personalisation to your home screen. Here's how to do it:

• Go to the Home Screen on your iPhone and locate the app you want to hide.
• Touch and hold the app icon until the quick actions menu opens.
• Tap 'Require Face ID' (or 'Touch ID' or 'Passcode' if you don't have Face ID set up).
• Tap 'Hide' and then 'Require Face ID' (or 'Touch ID' or 'Passcode' again).
• Authenticate using Face ID (or Touch ID or a passcode), then tap 'Hide App'.

Now, the app will be hidden from your home screen and can only be accessed by going to the App Library screen. To do this, swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to get to the App Library. You'll then need to tap the 'Hidden' folder and authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.

Another way to hide apps on your iPhone is by using the Shortcuts app. This involves creating a decoy app icon that, when tapped, launches the selected app while keeping the original app hidden. This adds an extra layer of privacy to your home screen.

How to hide apps on a tablet

If you're looking to hide apps on your tablet before heading to the airport, there are a few ways to go about it.

Firstly, check if your tablet has a built-in option to hide apps. You can do this by opening the app drawer, tapping on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, and looking for a '"Hide apps"' option. If you can't find it, you can use a third-party launcher, such as Nova, Apex, or Microsoft Launcher. These launchers can completely transform the look and feel of your tablet, and many offer the ability to hide apps.

If you're using a modern Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, or LG-branded tablet, it's easy to hide apps in your settings. Here's how:

• Tap 'Apps' or 'Apps & notifications'. The name of this option varies by model.
• Select the option to show all apps. You may see a menu or tab at the top of the screen that lets you filter the apps in the list. If so, choose the option that lets you view all apps installed on the tablet (including system apps). If you're using a Samsung Galaxy, tap the 'All' drop-down menu and select 'Enabled'.
• Tap 'Display'. It's the option with a green gear.
• Tap 'Home Screen'.
• Scroll down and tap 'Hide apps'. It's near the bottom of the page.
• Tap the app icon(s) you want to hide. You can hide multiple icons if you'd like.
• Tap 'Done'. It's at the bottom of the screen.

Your selected apps will now be hidden from your home screen and app drawer. To unhide them, simply go back into the 'Hide apps' menu and select 'Unhide'.

Additionally, if you just want to stop seeing pre-installed apps that you never use, you can usually disable them in your settings. Open 'Settings', tap 'Apps', select the app you want to disable, and then tap 'Disable'.

How to hide apps on a laptop

If you're looking to hide apps on your laptop, there are a few methods you can use. Here are the steps you can follow:

Hiding apps on Windows

• Press Win + I to open Windows Settings.
• Go to the Personalization category and select Start in the left pane.
• In the right pane, toggle off the option "Show app list in Start menu". Now, when you open the Start menu, you won't see the app list, including the app you want to hide.
• Alternatively, you can use the Registry Editor:

• Type "Registry Editor" in Windows Search and select the best match.
• Tap "Yes" on the User Account Control pop-up asking for permission to open the Registry Editor.
• Type the following path in the Registry Editor search bar: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
• A window will appear asking for the directory to save the keys. Navigate to the folder where you want to back up the Registry keys and click on "Save".
• Scroll down in the left pane and locate the app you want to hide in the "Uninstall" folder.

Another method is to right-click on the "Hide 'Programs and Features' page" option in the right pane and click on "Edit" from the context menu. Check the "Enabled" option in the new window and click "OK". This will prevent others from viewing, uninstalling, changing, or repairing installed programs via the Control Panel. However, the hidden app can still be found through the Start menu.

Hiding apps on Android

• Open Settings and tap Apps.
• Select the app(s) you want to hide. You can hide as many apps as you'd like.
• Tap "Hide apps". This will automatically hide the selected app(s) from your home screen and app drawer.
• If you want to add a password to your hidden apps, tap the three dots at the top-right and select "Enable Password". Now, you'll need to enter your PIN or pattern to view the hidden apps.

Remember, when hiding apps, it's important to consider your personal data security, especially when connected to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in airports.

How to hide apps on a desktop computer

Hiding apps on a desktop computer will depend on the operating system you are using.

If you are using a Windows PC, you can hide all windows and apps by clicking on an empty area of the desktop or by clicking outside of the current window. This will reveal the desktop underneath. You can also do this with a gesture on the trackpad by spreading your thumb and four fingers.

If you are using a Mac, you can hide the frontmost application by pressing Command-H on your keyboard. To hide all other applications, press Command-Option-H.

If you are using an Android phone, you can hide apps by opening Settings, tapping Apps, and then selecting the app you want to disable. You can also use an app that can remove system apps with root access, but be careful when researching and picking one to use, as this will remove your phone's security measures.

Frequently asked questions