GoKawiilMishaal Rahman / Android Authority
I’ve had Samsung’s Secure Folder set up on almost every Galaxy phone I’ve used over the years, but I only started using it properly about a year ago. As it turns out, locking away private photos is probably the least interesting thing it can do.
Once I stopped seeing Secure Folder as a glorified photo locker and started treating it as a separate space, everything changed. I now use it to hide distracting apps, secure my financial applications, run two instances of the same app, and keep my work and personal lives from bleeding into each other. And I’m honestly surprised more Galaxy users aren’t doing the same.
Which of these Secure Folder use cases would you try? 8 votes Hiding distracting apps 25 % Cloning apps for two accounts 13 % Locking financial apps 38 % Using it as a work profile 25 %
The perfect place to hide distracting apps
Pankil Shah / Android Authority
I have a complicated relationship with apps like Instagram and X. I know they’re a time sink, but I also can’t convince myself to delete them. So I keep them inside the Secure Folder now. And trust me, out of sight, out of mind actually works.
It’s more effective than app timers, which I could bypass with a single tap. Having apps locked in the Secure Folder adds that tiny bit of friction, just enough to break the reflex. I also disable notifications for such apps, so they can’t pull me back in either. I use it mainly for social media, but it can work for anything — games, streaming apps, shopping platforms, you name it.
Giving my banking apps stronger protection
Pankil Shah / Android Authority
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