Use Samsung’s built-in Secure Folder to protect a separate copy of an app. Open Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings → Secure Folder, create a PIN, password or pattern, then open Secure Folder and add the app. The protected copy is inside the folder; the original app outside it is not automatically locked. Full setup details are documented by Samsung Support.
What Secure Folder actually locks
Secure Folder is a built-in privacy feature on supported Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. It creates a protected space with its own credential. When you add an app, Samsung places a copy of that app in the folder rather than placing a passcode switch on the copy already installed outside it.
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That distinction determines what you should expect:
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- The copy inside Secure Folder has its own app data and is opened from the protected space.
- Using the outside copy does not automatically move its data into the protected copy.
- Some apps behave differently when duplicated. If the copy does not run correctly, Samsung recommends trying it in Secure Folder and contacting the app developer; an update may be needed. See Samsung’s Secure Folder access troubleshooting.
For a genuinely protected instance, use the version shown inside Secure Folder and remove or sign out of the unprotected version if you do not want it accessible outside the folder. Secure Folder does not turn every copy of an app on the phone into a locked app.
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Check whether your Galaxy supports Secure Folder
Secure Folder is not present on every Samsung device. On a supported phone, look for it at Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings → Secure Folder. Samsung notes that names and screens can vary by carrier and software version. If Secure Folder is absent from that location, the model or software may not support it; the feature cannot be enabled by installing an ordinary app.
Before starting, make sure you can complete these requirements:
- A compatible Galaxy phone or tablet with Secure Folder available in Settings.
- A PIN, password or pattern that you can remember. Fingerprint unlock can be enabled on supported devices after the main credential is created.
- A Samsung account if setup requests one. If you want account-based recovery, enable the reset option during setup.
- Enough storage for another copy of each app and the data that copy creates.
Secure Folder is a software feature; you do not need a second phone, privacy screen, replacement part or special accessory.
Set up Secure Folder for the first time
- Open the feature. Go to Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings → Secure Folder. If your menus use slightly different wording, use Settings search for “Secure Folder.”
- Start setup. Tap Continue and grant the permissions requested by the setup screens.
- Sign in if prompted. Samsung may ask you to sign in to a Samsung account. Complete that step if required by your device.
- Create the folder credential. Choose a PIN, password or pattern. This credential is separate from the ordinary screen-lock credential unless you deliberately choose the same one.
- Enable biometric access if offered. On supported devices, turn on fingerprint unlocking after setting the PIN, password or pattern. Keep the main credential available because biometric access is not a replacement for it in every situation.
- Review recovery before leaving setup. If the setup screen offers Reset with Samsung account, enable it if you want that recovery route. Samsung says the Forgot prompt will not appear later when this option was not enabled during security setup.
After setup, the Secure Folder shortcut normally appears in the Apps screen. Opening that shortcut presents the folder’s lock screen, not the lock screen for the entire phone.
Add an app to the protected space
- Open Secure Folder and authenticate with its credential.
- Tap Add apps or the plus (+) icon.
- Select the app you want to use in the protected space.
- Tap Add.
The result is a copy inside Secure Folder. Depending on the app, you may need to sign in again, restore data separately or configure notifications again because the protected copy is a separate app instance. Test the copy before deleting or changing the outside installation.
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If the app is not listed
Use the Add apps screen to select an installed app. If the app cannot be added or will not launch after being copied, first update it through the copy inside Secure Folder if an update is offered. Samsung advises contacting the app’s developer when the app still does not run properly; compatibility is controlled by the app as well as by Secure Folder. The relevant Samsung troubleshooting guidance is at https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshoot/TSG10001553/.
Understand the two app instances
Think of the outside and inside versions as two installations with separate contexts. A message, account session or file saved in one copy may not appear in the other. If your goal is privacy, open the protected copy from inside Secure Folder and avoid assuming that activity in the outside copy is protected.
Choose how the folder locks
Secure Folder has its own automatic-lock controls. The exact choices depend on the phone’s software. Samsung’s current guidance for Android 16 with One UI 8 says the former Each time I leave an app option has been removed and the default is When screen turns off. Older versions can show different choices.
| Control | What it does | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| PIN | Unlocks Secure Folder with a numeric code. | Convenient when you want a short code that is different from your phone’s pattern. |
| Password | Unlocks Secure Folder with a text password. | Useful when you prefer a longer credential. |
| Pattern | Unlocks Secure Folder by tracing a pattern. | Suitable if you prefer gesture entry and can prevent others from seeing the pattern. |
| Fingerprint | Provides biometric access on supported devices after a PIN, password or pattern is set. | Fast everyday access while retaining a fallback credential. |
| When screen turns off | Locks Secure Folder when the phone’s screen turns off, according to current Android 16 and One UI 8 guidance. | Use when you want the folder to relock whenever you stop using the phone. |
To review the settings, open Secure Folder, tap its three-dot menu, and open the folder settings. Look for the lock or automatic-lock section and select the option your software provides. The labels can differ by carrier and One UI version.
Lock immediately with Lock and exit
On Android 16 with One UI 8, open Secure Folder, tap the three-dot menu and choose Lock and exit. This closes the protected space and locks it immediately instead of waiting for the automatic rule. Samsung lists this as a current menu command at https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001401/.
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If Lock and exit is missing, check the phone’s software version and install the available One UI 8 update before trying again. Samsung identifies the command as version-specific, so an older interface may not show it.
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Hide the Secure Folder shortcut
Hiding the icon is separate from locking the folder. A hidden shortcut does not remove the credential or encrypt the contents; it only removes the normal shortcut from the Apps screen.
Samsung provides two ways to hide it:
- Open Quick Settings and use the Secure Folder control to hide or show it.
- Open Secure Folder settings and switch off Add Secure Folder to Apps screen.
To access a hidden folder later, use the corresponding Quick Settings control or turn the Apps-screen option back on. Keep in mind that anyone who knows where the setting is can make the shortcut visible again; hiding is an inconspicuousness measure, not a replacement for the lock.
Keep notifications and app access in mind
Notifications belong to the app copy that generated them. If you use a messaging or mail app inside Secure Folder, configure that protected copy rather than relying on the outside installation. Notification behavior can also change when the folder is locked or encrypted.
Samsung’s updated instructions describe an enhanced-encryption mode in which apps and their notifications stop working until the folder is decrypted. That mode therefore trades availability for protection: choose it only when you accept that those apps will be unavailable while the folder remains encrypted. The encryption instructions and current wording are in Samsung’s Secure Folder guide.
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Recover access if you forget the credential
At the Secure Folder unlock screen, use the Forgot option if it appears and follow the Samsung account recovery flow. This route is conditional. Samsung says that Reset with Samsung account must have been enabled during the original security setup; if it was not, the Forgot prompt will not appear and the folder cannot be recovered through that option.
Do not remove Secure Folder while trying random credentials if the contents matter. Removing the folder can remove the protected apps and their data. If account recovery is unavailable, use Samsung’s troubleshooting guidance for the exact device and software version: Unable to access Secure Folder on Galaxy phone or tablet.
Troubleshoot common problems
Secure Folder does not appear in Settings
- Confirm that you checked Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings, not only the Apps screen.
- Use Settings search for “Secure Folder.”
- Check for system updates and carrier-specific menu changes.
- If the feature remains absent, the device may not support it. Samsung states that unsupported devices do not show Secure Folder in that menu.
The copied app will not open
Open Secure Folder, select the copied app and try again after updating it. Some apps do not support duplicated or protected installations. If the problem continues, contact the developer and consult Samsung’s troubleshooting page rather than assuming the folder credential is wrong.
The folder keeps opening without asking
Review the automatic-lock setting in Secure Folder. The folder may still be within the interval selected by your software, or the screen may not yet have turned off. On Android 16 with One UI 8, the documented default is When screen turns off; use Lock and exit for an immediate lock.
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Check whether you are viewing the outside copy instead of the protected copy. Also review whether enhanced encryption is enabled: Samsung says apps and their notifications stop working until the folder is decrypted in that mode.
The Forgot option is not available
This usually means account reset was not enabled during setup. Samsung’s support page states that the folder cannot be recovered through Samsung account reset when that option was omitted.
Use a lock method that fits your routine
Choose the credential and lock behavior together rather than treating them as separate decisions.
- Frequent, private use: Use a PIN or supported fingerprint access, and keep automatic locking tied to the screen turning off.
- Occasional access on a shared phone: Use a password or pattern that is not used elsewhere, then select the strictest automatic behavior offered by your software.
- Maximum availability: Avoid enhanced encryption if you need protected apps and their notifications to continue working while the folder is encrypted.
- Discreet access: Hide the shortcut after setup, but continue using the folder lock because hiding alone does not protect the contents.
Whatever you choose, lock the folder before handing the phone to someone else. On current Android 16 and One UI 8 software, Lock and exit is the explicit way to do that immediately.
A practical setup checklist
- Verify that Secure Folder appears under Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings.
- Create a unique PIN, password or pattern and record a safe recovery plan.
- Enable Reset with Samsung account during setup if you want account recovery.
- Enable fingerprint access only on a device where the enrolled fingerprints are trusted.
- Add the app through Secure Folder → Add apps → select app → Add.
- Open the copied app, sign in and confirm that its data and notifications behave as expected.
- Set automatic locking and test it by turning off the screen.
- On Android 16 with One UI 8, test Lock and exit from the three-dot menu.
- Hide the shortcut only if you understand that hiding and locking are separate controls.
- Keep the outside copy only if you are comfortable with that unprotected instance remaining available.
What Secure Folder cannot do
- It does not lock the original app outside the folder.
- It does not guarantee that every app supports duplication.
- It does not provide account recovery unless the reset option was enabled during setup.
- It does not keep apps and notifications available while enhanced encryption is active and the folder remains encrypted.
- It is not available on every Samsung Galaxy model or every software configuration.
For supported devices, Secure Folder is therefore best understood as a separately locked app environment. Add the app copy you want to protect, verify that you are using that copy, and choose an automatic-lock rule that matches how quickly you need the folder to become inaccessible.
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