How do you hide files and folders on Android?

Android has no single “hidden folder” switch. It has three locked places, each with different rules, and one old trick that hides without locking. This guide walks through all four. We checked Google’s Files by Google Help, Android Help, the Android developer documentation and Samsung’s support page on 2026-10-09.

Four ways to hide files

Method	Lock	Backup	Works on
Files by Google Safe folder	Its own PIN or pattern	None. No Google Drive option	Android 8.0 and later
Private space	Its own lock or your screen lock	Through the apps inside it	Android 15 and later
Samsung Secure Folder	Its own PIN, password or pattern	No longer supported, per Samsung	Galaxy phones that support it
A .nomedia file	None	Whatever already backs up that folder	Android since API level 9

Files by Google Safe folder

Google’s steps:

1. Open Files by Google and scroll to Collections.
2. Tap Safe folder, then PIN or Pattern.
3. Set it, confirm it, and tap Got it on the reminder screen.

To move files in, find them in Files by Google. In grid view, touch and hold the files. In list view, tap More, then Select, and check each one. Then tap More, then Move to Safe folder, and enter your PIN or pattern.

Google lists what Safe folder does:

• Files do not show in search results or categories.
• Third-party apps cannot open them.
• Screenshots of Safe folder are blocked.
• Installed apps cannot move into it.

And what it does not do:

• No backup. “The ‘Share’ and ‘Back up to Google Drive’ options aren’t available in the Safe folder.”
• No recovery. “If you forget your PIN or Pattern, you can’t access your files.” A reset “permanently” loses them.
• Fragile files. Google says files can become corrupt or deleted on rare occasions, and then no one can open them. Google gives three warnings. Do not clear storage or cache with other apps. Do not plug in an SD card with Safe folder files from another phone. Do not copy Safe folder files to a new phone.

Private space

On Android 15 and later, private space is a separate area for apps, with its own lock or your screen lock. Google says that when it is locked, its apps are completely stopped and hidden in All Apps. Install a file manager or a notes app inside private space, and its files stay inside with it. Our private space guide has the setup.

Samsung Secure Folder

On a Galaxy phone, Secure Folder is a locked space with its own apps and files. Samsung says it can only be opened on the phone itself, not from the web or a computer. Turn on Reset with Samsung account at setup, because Samsung says that without it, a forgotten lock means no way back in. Samsung also says Secure Folder no longer supports backing up data, though it can still restore older backups. See Samsung Secure Folder.

What a .nomedia file does

Android’s developer documentation defines .nomedia as the “name of the file signaling the media scanner to ignore media in the containing directory and its subdirectories”. It exists so app graphics do not fill up your Gallery.

So a .nomedia file in a folder keeps its photos out of gallery apps that respect the media scanner. That is all it does:

• No lock. Any file manager opens the folder.
• No encryption. A computer that connects by cable sees the files. Google’s steps for a cable transfer need only an unlocked phone and File Transfer mode. See what a computer can see.
• No promise from every app. It is a signal to the media scanner, not a rule that other apps must follow.

Which one should you use?

• For a few documents you rarely open, Safe folder works, with a backup kept somewhere else.
• For a set of private apps, private space.
• For a Galaxy phone with a Samsung account, Secure Folder.
• For hiding app clutter, not secrets, .nomedia.

Files in York Vault

York Vault keeps any file type next to your photos: PDFs, scans, documents and audio, in albums inside albums, behind its own PIN, passcode or pattern. Each file, its name and its thumbnail are encrypted on the phone. Unlike Safe folder, every item backs up, encrypted, to a hidden app folder in your own Google Drive at no cost. A 12-word recovery key opens your library if you forget the code. See ID cards and documents and how York Vault backs up on Android. Download York Vault on Google Play.