If you use a smartphone or are intrigued about them, you must have heard of Android’s hidden apps. These hidden apps are purposely concealed after being installed by the user, or they may be pre-loaded on mobile devices. Additionally, it has been discovered that Android instals various hidden apps on smartphones in order to preserve device productivity and security.
Teenagers occasionally enjoy hiding apps on their Android cellphones for private use, such as texting and video-watching apps.
Therefore, you must know how to locate hidden apps on your Android device or check for hidden apps on your child’s device. It is a wonderful way to view apps on the home screen of the phone, but it does not display all installed Android devices.
Find Hidden Apps on Android using App Drawer.
App Drawer displays an exhaustive list of all installed applications on the device. To access the app drawer, tap the icon with four or six dots (depending on the phone) at the lower-center of the screen within a circle.
After clicking on this icon, you will be presented with an alphabetically ordered list of all installed applications on your device. Here, you will find the majority of the apps installed on your Android device, while some apps may still be hidden. To reveal these hidden applications on your phone, follow the instructions below:
- Visit your app drawer section.
- Tap on the three dots that are present at the upper-right of the device screen.
Click on the home screen settings. It will navigate you to the Hide apps menu; tap on it.
Here you will find the hidden applications that are not displayed in the application list. If the hidden screen does not display any apps or the Hide apps menu is absent, then your smartphone does not contain any hidden apps.
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Find Hidden Apps on Android Using Settings:
The Settings app on Android smartphones provides access to the full list of apps installed on the device. The processes may differ according on device model and manufacturer, but they are essentially identical.
- First of all, launch the Settings app, which looks like a gear icon.
- Please scroll down to Manage apps and tap on it.
In the next screen under the All tab, you will see the complete list of apps present on your device.
You will even see the system files and apps that help to run Android OS successfully.
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Find Hidden Apps on Android phones using ES File Explorer app (File Manager App)
Using a third-party Android File Manager application is an alternative method for discovering hidden programmes on Android devices. Here, we will utilise the application “ES File Explorer” to locate device-hidden apps:
- Install the “ES File Explorer” file manager app from Play Store.
- When the installation gets finished, open the ES File Explorer.
- Now, slide the Menu drawer and select the Tools option.
Please scroll down the screen, look for the Show hidden files option, and enable its switch button.
- Now, you can see the complete list of hidden apps if present on your Android device.
- Later on, if your mind changes and you want to hide the apps again, disable the Show hidden files option.
Advantages and Disadvantages of using Hiding apps on Android
Similar to every other technologically-related software equipment, hidden apps have both pros and cons. Below is a list of advantages and disadvantages of using hidden apps.
Advantages of Hidden Apps:
- Hidden apps help parents supervise their children of small age groups and track their online activity on their phones. Parents can also see and check the children’s web history and their social media presence.
- You can use the hidden app to hide offensive chats and other media files from children and other people.
Disadvantages of Hidden Apps:
- Most of the hidden apps are designed to help users keep information secrets, private conversations, and personal media files from other people. Practicing hiding apps regularly can have a bad effect on your healthy relationship with your loved ones and with your partner as well.
- In today’s digital world, accessing the Internet and mobile phones has become very easy. It makes children more aware of hiding stuff and their activities on their phones. Hence, the hidden apps help kids keep their activity secrets from their parents, making it difficult for parents to keep an eye on their kids.
- A mobile user who is unaware of these hidden apps and their features can be a victim in the digital world of the Internet.
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Some of the top apps that kids love to hide on their Android phone
Vault-Hide
Vault apps are designed to keep your smartphone content secret and private. With more than 100 million smartphone users globally, Vault-Hide has become the most popular app for teenagers who wish to conceal their personal information from their friends.
Hide it Pro
The Hide it Pro application appears to be an audio player with an icon that resembles iTunes. However, it is a safe used to conceal all kinds of encrypted files on a smartphone.
Keepsafe Photo Vault
The Keepsafe Photo Vault app does not appear in the list of recently seen apps, thus customers who wish to ensure that others cannot detect hidden apps on their phone typically use a hidden-phone app.
Vaulty
If someone attempts to access the Vaulty Android app, a photograph of the violator is taken. It gives an additional layer of protection, which increases the app’s popularity among Android users who wish to conceal their photos and videos.
How to Find Hidden Apps on Android
- Launch the device Settings app on your phone.
- Click on the Apps section.
- Select for All apps.
- Scroll the screen and see the list of all apps which are present on your device.
- If anything looks different and funny, Google it to discover more about it.
It would be of greater use if you also searched for apps within the phone’s folders. Nowadays, children are pretty savvy, and they may attempt to conceal applications within the Android operating system. Frequently, they labelled files in ways that may not have piqued your attention, such as “Minecraft pictures.”
How to Check Whether an App is Real or Not
The Android operating system is full of trickery, and many of the apps loaded on a mobile device appear normal yet fulfil distinct duties. There are a number of apps in the Google Play Store that appear regular, but are designed to conceal data on the device. Due of these applications, it is difficult to determine what is occurring on the device.
- Press and hold the app until a small menu pops up.
- At the top of the window, you will see a small “i” information circle.
- Tap on the small “i” icon to view detail.
- When a new page opens up, tap App details, and it will show you everything about the app.
If you find anything wrong or funny, then consult Google Play for the official information regarding it.
Note that this method may not work if you downloaded the app from a source other than Google Play (you won’t be able to view Google Play data).
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Find Hidden Apps on Android Using Parental Control App
Parental control apps are another simple way to locate hidden programs on Android phones. Use a parental control tool developed to protect children if you wish to discover the hidden apps on your child’s smartphone and keep them safe.
This includes viewing their Messenger conversations, media on their devices, and browsing history, among many other things. The mSpy parental control programme reveals hidden apps on Android devices. It enables you to view the apps loaded on your child’s mobile device, including any hidden ones. Such a hidden app finder contains a plethora of additional monitoring and safety functions for your children.