Original topic:

Feature request: hide the fact that a Secure Folder is present.

(Topic created: 5 hours ago)
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rw09
Astronaut
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Samsung Apps and Services

I would love to see a feature in Secure Folder to help the users safeguard their private data in the event someone was asking the user to enter the password to gain access to the Secure Folder data.

For this, I think the best could be to "hide the fact that a secure folder even exists". And it could be done as simply as linking the user's credentials (i.e. a PIN) to the Secure Folder environment.

That way, the user could for example enter invalid credentials (i.e. a wrong PIN) and it would open a "dummy" secure folder environment, one that is empty.

This way, if the user was ever questioned about Secure Folder and what's inside, the user could enter this "dummy" PIN and show whomever is asking that "oh yes, I have secure folder but it is completely empty it was just a test, as you can see".

Considering that Secure Folder apps show in apps listings around different Settings menus on the outside Android OS (like notifications history, different phone usage statistics in device care such as battery for example, or app notifications settings in the Galaxy Wearable app), I think it might not be possible to hide the existence of Secure Folder entirely (since someone would know from those lists that it exists), unless these apps disappeared from those listings.

Now, since hiding Secure Folder entirely isn't possible. I would at least like to see a feature where the user can "set a dummy pin" and upon entering that PIN a secure folder dummy clone environment would open where installed apps are present (the same ones from the actual secure folder) but they have no data (as if they were freshly installed or the user had done storage->clear data on those apps).

In the scenario where someone questioned the user about secure folder and asking the user to enter the credentials... it would be impossible for the inquisitor to tell whether the user is entering the real PIN or the dummy one.

This could get tricky since, if the inquisitor knew about this secure folder feature, they could ask to look into the dummy PIN settings of the dummy/clone environment. And, in order to make the dummy environment look like the real one, it would have to be possible to use the clone environment as a real one full-featured, being able to install/remove apps, use/configure them, etc.

Well, I hope my goal is clear. There might be easier ways to achieve it, but this was just an idea.

3 Replies
realaud
Honored Contributor
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Samsung Apps and Services

Are you anticipating being held at gunpoint and having the password to your secure folder demanded? Everyone who has ever had a smart phone knows that *a* secure folder exists, so hiding the existence of one is not a good option.  They should, however, allow you to rename your secure folder to something innocuous.

 

If someone is not holding you hostage and asking for your secure folder password, then "no" is a complete sentence.

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Yaswanth
Galaxy
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Samsung Apps and Services
There's an option to change the name and icon of secure folder. You can also hide it from the home screen/app drawer and access it from Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure folder
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cleverEyes
Halo
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Samsung Apps and Services
If you are really needing to hide it that badly, you can disable secure lock in the control panel.
Every app like gallery will assume it does not exist
You can access the folder in settings, security and privacy, more secure settings, secure folder, apps

It's a really overkill solution but that might be what you are looking for
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