Picture this: You're wedged into the middle seat while cruising at 38,000 feet, half watching the clouds and half scrolling through messages you probably should have answered already. The cabin lights are dimmed. The stranger rubbing shoulders next to you adjusts in their seat. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice their gaze flicker toward your screen.
That is a moment when the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display, announced Wednesday during the company's Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, can quietly step in.
Unlike old-fashioned screen protectors that permanently darken your display, the new feature is built directly into the $1,300 Galaxy S26 Ultra's panel. It's not a film you stick on top; it's a part of the hardware itself, working seamlessly with the software.
During the Unpacked event, Samsung brought out Miles Franklin from MilesAboveTech to demo the feature. To Miles, looking straight at the screen, everything remained crisp, bright and color-accurate. To anyone trying to peek from the side, like those of us watching the demo, the content fades into shadow. From this perspective, the screen might as well be off.
Read more: This One Killer Feature Sets the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Apart From All Other Phones
"It's seriously one of the coolest features I've seen on a phone in years," Franklin said.
How the Privacy Display works
Under the hood, the technology relies on a combination of directional backlighting and an adaptive pixel layer that controls how light is emitted across angles. Traditional displays spread light broadly so multiple people can see the screen at once. The S26 Ultra does the opposite when privacy mode is active. It funnels light forward in a tighter beam, limiting lateral visibility without sacrificing clarity for the primary user.
Sensors play a role, too. Using the front-facing camera and ambient-awareness algorithms, the device can detect when additional faces enter the field of view. If it senses someone hovering nearby or glancing from the side, it can automatically trigger enhanced privacy mode. You can also have the process run automatically when certain notifications appear or when you open specific apps, such as banking or social media apps.
Back on the plane, you can now continue typing. The stranger next to you adjusts again -- perhaps curious, perhaps bored. It doesn't matter. Your screen remains yours.