Kids these days find it hard to restrict their curiosity to mature apps and social platforms. Unfortunately, the kids using these platforms have no sense of the fact that they are highly likely to be targeted by predators and pedophiles. Plus, teens are masters at using hidden apps that hide apps to get one over on their parents. And it is next to impossible for a parent to control and keep their child away from dangers in the digital world in such a case. Needless to say, understanding how to expose vault apps may make parents overwhelmed. The following article will walk you through the most popular hiding apps many teens are using. By the end of this article, you’ll find out how to monitor and defend your kid without falling for these apps.
6 mobile apps your child may use to hide other apps
With modern parenting, you must know the tools your child might be using to hide their digital movements. While these apps are add-ons to protect users’ privacy, they also can be used to hide inappropriate content. Usually, this content can be provocative pictures or explicit details about a third party. Anyhow, keep reading to know 6 apps children often run to hide other apps, photos, videos, or files on their phone.
1. Calculator Vault
Calculator Vault is a famous app that is as fake as a normal calculator. On the outside, it would seem like an average mathematical calculator, but punched in a secret code, it opens to expose a concealed safe. Photos, videos, and other such apps can be hidden in this vault, hence, the ideal way for teenagers to hide what they are up to.
User reviews:
“I adore this app and cheers for it for securing private pics. It’s very discreet.”
“My teen used this app to conceal games. Until I stumbled upon it, I had no idea my young one had access to apps that hide apps.”
2. Hide It Pro
Hide It Pro works as an “Audio Manager” app, which is why it fooled some people. When you enter a unique passcode, it reveals a secret vault where you can hide photos, videos, and various apps.
User reviews:
“I adore this app and cheers for it for securing private pics. It’s very discreet.”
“My teen used this app to conceal games. Until I stumbled upon it, I had no idea my young one had access to apps that hide apps.”
3. Hyde App Hider
With Hyde App Hider, many people can confidently secure apps, photos, and videos in a secret space. This tool’s app icon cloning feature makes it ideal for hiding in plain sight. Moreover, the hidden version will disappear from the main list of apps, which makes it very hard to find.
User reviews:
“It’s a great app for keeping certain apps private. It works flawlessly.”
My son was using this to hide social media apps. I only found out after randomly checking apps with my parental control tools.”
4. Nova Launcher
Nova Launcher is known for being an extremely well-designed app that allows users to customize their home screens. It, however, also offers the functionality to hide apps behind an invisible design in the app drawer, which makes it an app that can be used to hide other apps.
User reviews:
“Lightweight Nova Launcher: I love the ability to customize so many options in Nova Launcher. Hiding apps is just a bonus.”
“I had no idea my child could do this. It’s a bit concerning.”
5. KeepSafe app
With a security check built into this application, the KeepSafe app is guaranteed that no one else will see your hidden stuff using this tool. It is ideal for individual usage and also for business people. The best part? It will notify you of unauthorized access to your private stuff at your back.
User reviews:
“It’s a very nice app – the only one I’ve ever purchased. My biggest complaint is that it’s pricey.”
“Having used this app for quite some time now, I believe in my humble opinion that it does exactly what it is supposed to do. No fuss, no fidgeting about, and with great efficiency and ease of use.”
6. Private Browser
Some Private Browser apps help you browse the web safely and privately, while others allow you to download and save files in official apps easily. Usually, these browsers have a vault that provides additional safety for your content. The app under focus here is the Brave private browser, known for its exceptional safety features and convenience.
User reviews:
“The absolute best part of the app is the ease of downloading media, which makes the browser worth using.”
“Since its launch, I’ve used it on every device, and it has the best downloading and managing video and audio file capabilities on the market. The app comes standard with a download button on the taskbar.”
Signs your child may have a vault or hidden apps
Be more aware of the signs that your child might use vault or hidden apps. These could be in the form of changed behaviors or obvious clues on their phones. When parents know what to look for and are comfortable with identifying the signs, they can delve deeper into their children’s digital behaviors to take the necessary steps to protect their kids.
Behavioral changes
- If your child covers the screen quickly when you get close, they might have secrets. This conduct could mean they are trying to keep some activities hidden.
- Too much screen time: If you catch your hubby or kid using the phone for hours and can’t find anything suspicious on the app grid, they are likely using an app vault.
- If you notice your child being more unwilling to share their phone with you or becoming defensive when asked about their activities, it’s more likely that they are using hidden apps. This reluctance should be a significant red flag that there is something on this device they do not want you to see.
Clues on devices
- Suspicious icons: Sometimes, hiding apps designed to cover other apps use common icons like calculators or audio managers to mask their actual purpose. However, a mobile phone does not need 2 calculators or anything like that. Note down the apps with suspicious names and logos, and then figure out what they are.
- If you find apps that require passwords to open, that could be a red flag. These apps could be used to shield a profile. Of course, some level of security is only expected due to privacy reasons, but asking for a password on so many apps is critical.
- Strange app behavior: Apps that look abnormal or work oddly could be vault apps posing as something else entirely. If an app doesn’t do what you expect it to, maybe a closer look is warranted to see what it does.
Why are hidden and vault apps dangerous for kids?
Although these apps are used for privacy and security reasons, they also bring a respectable danger to the kids. It is the parents who need to be aware of these dangers and try as much as they can to control them. If not done so, their child could fall into the trap of predators and scammers.
Exposure to risks
- Inappropriate content: When hidden, dirty pics and adult content can now be saved and accessed more easily. Material that includes, but is not limited to, images, videos, and apps that contain nudity.
- Online scams: These apps trick kids into online scams and phishing attacks, leading to a compromise of personal data.
- Cyberbullying: Your kid could be using a hidden app to cyberbully others, as well as get targeted by cyberbullies, which can have serious mental and emotional consequences.
Mental health impact
Hidden apps may cause relationship strain. The child may take on a burden of guilt, anxiety, and isolation when they are unable to free themselves from the burden of the secret, which consequently affects their mental health and well-being. Living in secrecy only increases their stress levels and is terrible for their emotional health, which easily drives them into darker depths of depression and anxiety.
Lack of transparency
Open and honest communication between parents and children helps build a healthy relationship. The transparency has eroded when a child hides apps from view, leaving parents unable to provide the support and guidance they need. This is going to seriously derail communication, and you know what is going on with your children.
How to resolve hidden apps with your child?
The hidden app problem must be solved with a mix of open communication, trust (earned communication), and respect for others’ privacy. There are several strategies to help parents make their way through this brutal terrain.
Communication
Talk to your child about the hazards of such apps as well as the value of transparency. Inquire about their opinions and genuinely hear them out without judgment. Explain to them that your goal is to keep them safe and healthy, not about privacy or punishment.
Trust
Also show your kids that you do believe them all the time, to keep them in check and ensure their well-being. This also goes the other way and so by being open and honest with your child, you will start to build up a great relationship.
Now, let’s move on to having supervision and control over your child. A parental control app like FlashGet Kids allows parents to detect hidden apps and block them if they feel concerned that this will be of danger to their kids. This can especially come in handy to combat those vault apps on Android devices, of which there are many. Moreover, this application can help parents monitor and track their kid’s every move in the physical and digital world.
Solving the hidden apps on Android problem takes thoughtful planning and execution on the part of the parents so they enforce accountability to keep their children safe while respecting their privacy.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, apps that help you hide other apps are not exactly malevolent, but they can be quite risky for kids, especially if they are in the wrong hands. Still, hearing that your child must be using a hiding app isn’t necessarily a parent’s death sentence. Have some patience and understanding. Discuss this with your child, explaining why this feature is there and stressing the importance of safety and transparency while reminding them they need the additional layer of protection.
With the right information available and open conversation, parents can better prepare to deal with some of the pitfalls associated with modern digital parenting, which will enable their child(ren) to simply stay safe and healthy online. You might also want to check on them from making a mistake they will harvest later on by using tools like FlashGet Kids.
