Protect your personal photos and files on your Samsung Galaxy phone

You don't have to be a spy or journalist to have photos, files, and other content on your phone that you'd rather others not see or have access to. Thankfully, Samsung has a feature on its Galaxy phones called secure folders, where you can hide those embarrassing photos or those important work documents without fear that friends, family, or others will stumble across them. We'll show you where to find this feature and how to use it in the steps below.

How to enable and use secure folders on your Samsung Galaxy phone

1. Open the Settings app, or swipe down for the quick settings panel and tap on the gear icon.
2. Scroll down and tap on Biometrics and security.

3. Scroll down and tap on Secure Folder.

   

4. Agree to the terms and conditions.
5. Wait for the system to create the Secure Folder.
6. Choose a Secure Folder lock type, and if you want to be able to access the folder with Biometrics.

7. Type in your Pattern, PIN, or Password, and then confirm it a second time.

   

8. Once you are in the Secure Folder screen, you can add content to the folder by tapping on Add apps or Add files.

   

You can trust that Samsung's defense-grade Knox security platform will protect the items you place in the Secure Folder. Think of the Secure Folder as a subset of your other apps, where you can only access certain private or sensitive information.

Once you've created the folder, you can then add other apps or files to it using the icons at the bottom of the screen. These items can be copied or moved over outright. Plus, any content or files you create from the Secure Folder will be housed there by default, though you can move items out of the Secure Folder as well.

You can also elect to hide the Secure Folder from your app drawer and lockscreen if you so choose through a toggle in Settings under Biometrics and security, Secure Folder, Show Secure Folder.

Our top equipment picks

For the best Samsung phone right now, our pick is the Galaxy S20+.

Best of the best

Samsung Galaxy S20+

$1,000 at Amazon $950 at Best Buy $1,000 at Walmart

Samsung's excellent all-rounder

The S20+ has a great screen, top-end specs, a strong array of cameras, and feature-packed software. It's expensive but worth it.

Additional Equipment

If privacy and security are essential to you, take a look at these apps and services.

ExpressVPN

Sign up at ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers a great mix of speed, reliability, affordability, and customer service. It works regardless of your OS or platform, and features industrial-strength encryption.

Dashlane

Sign up at Dashlane

Dashlane is one of the premier password manager services. You can store passwords, secure notes, payments, and more.

YubiKey 5C

$50 at Amazon

Yubico is an established name in cybersecurity, and they make some of the best encryption keys in the business. This one is FIDO certified and works with just about any operating system and password manager.