How to find hidden apps on Android

Very few people display every app they use on the home screen of their Android smartphone or tablet. Sometimes apps are moved around to keep the home screen cleaner, but other times apps are hidden for another reason. Here are the easiest and most effective ways to find hidden apps on your Android phone or tablet.

Note: The information below applies to all Android phone manufacturers, including Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.

Understanding Android Folders and Screens

Like most smartphones and tablets, Android devices have a home screen that extends horizontally beyond what you see when you first turn on the device. Other parts of the home screen are used to organize apps and widgets into groups and hide apps from prying eyes.

To see all sections of the home screen on your Android device, swipe from right to left.

There may be more than one additional screen, so keep swiping left until the icons shown cannot be moved any further.

Another way to hide apps on Android is to put them in a folder. Folders are visible on the home screen and look like a set of four small app icons. Tap the folder to open it and view the apps.

How to find hidden apps in Settings

The Settings menu in Android is complicated enough. So it's the first place to look for the answer to the question "How do I find hidden apps on my phone?"

The full list of apps can also be accessed from the Settings section. To open the Settings app, tap Settings (the gear icon). In Settings , tap Apps from the menu . If things look different on your device, just go to the apps tab on your phone. Then select See all apps . This option will show you all the apps on your device. Just scroll through them to explore what’s on your device.

If you or another user has disabled and hidden apps, you should also look for an option to only view these apps. Look for the All apps button . Tapping it will open a drop-down menu that may show you Disabled apps .

Find hidden apps with Special app access

In the Apps menu , you'll find an option called Special app access . Here, your apps are broken down by the privileges they have on your phone.

For example, if you go to All files access , it will show you every app that can use your digital files. You can filter by apps that have access to photos, notifications, WiFi control, etc.

This is a great way to narrow down the types of programs you are looking for, improving the efficiency of how to find hidden apps on Android.

How to find hidden apps in the app drawer

As Android devices evolve, they offer better ways to manage your content. Manufacturers and launchers offer different solutions for hiding apps on Android, but they all have one thing in common: the app drawer. It's the scrolling display of apps you get when you swipe up on your phone's home screen.

From here, you can hide and show apps on some Android systems via the drawer menu button — it usually looks like three dots or a gear icon. Other devices have alternative features, such as folders. To use these, open the menu, select Create folder , enter a title, and select the apps to group together.

When looking for hidden apps, make sure you check folders as they can hide the apps they contain. So finding hidden apps on your Android device can be as simple as taking a closer look.

Find hidden apps via file manager

Another way to sort through the apps on your phone is to use a file manager. All Android devices will come with this feature in one form or another (it will usually be an icon labeled "Files" ).

So tap the relevant file manager icon to open a list of categories and tools. Go to Apps and you’ll see all the apps installed on your device, as well as any Android Package Kits (APKs). You can also manage each item here, from sharing to uninstalling.

However, file managers don't always show system apps that are part of the device's basic functionality. In other words, only turn to a file manager if you want to find hidden apps that were actually downloaded by the user or manufacturer.

Another feature to note is the Safe folder in the file manager. This is a secure place to store files, requiring a PIN or pattern. It doesn’t involve too much app-related stuff, but it’s a good place to look for hidden data, and it also shows off the nooks and crannies of your Android device.

If your current file manager doesn't suit your needs, you can always download a better one. Try apps like Cx File Explorer to enjoy a cleaner interface, smoother file organization, and much more granularity into the hidden and active apps on your phone.

Find hidden apps with new launcher

If you don't like the way your current Android system looks, you can install a different launcher that suits your workflow. While there are security concerns about third-party Android launchers, apps like Microsoft Launcher and Nova Launcher are among the best on the Play Store.

Take Microsoft's software, for example. It adds a Hidden apps tab to your app drawer, showing your device's most recent apps and letting you adjust their layout from a vertical or horizontal grid to an alphabetical list.

From Hidden apps settings , you can even choose a password, set quick access to apps via the toolbar, and show them in search results. In other words, you can keep your hidden files safe and avoid losing track of them.

Check out the best Android launchers for every device  and check which launcher is most effective at detecting hidden apps and files.

A Look at Some “Camouflage” Apps for Android

Looking at an app's icon and name may not be enough to tell you what's going on on your Android phone or tablet. There are a lot of apps in the Google Play Store that look like one type of app, but are designed to hide photos, videos, and other data.

A popular example is Calculator Photo Vault, which looks and acts like a basic calculator app, but is actually a file storage app. For example, you can protect your photos, videos, and hidden files with icons, passwords, and selfies.

There are many other options as well. See: 4 Ways to Hide and Restrict Apps on Android for more details.

To double check the real identity of any Android app, do the following.

1. Tap the app icon until a small menu appears.

2. Tap the small i in the circle next to the pencil icon.

3. A page detailing everything about the app, from its storage size to its permissions, will appear. Tap app details.

4. The app's product page in the Google Play Store will appear. From here, you can read official information about the app, including reviews from other users.