How to find hidden apps on Android?

Have you ever tried to figure out how to find hidden apps on Android device? Certainly,viewing apps on your Android home screen is awesome to start with. But, what about when you can’t see every app installed on your Android device and maybe you’re not aware about it? Android devices come with a vast app library that offers you a world of convenience at your fingertips. However, beneath the screen, there might be a list of concealed apps, hiding in the shadows of your Android device. Unearthing such hidden treasures or perhaps hidden ghosts can be of great concern in your quest to understand how to find and see hidden apps on your Android devices.

This guide will take you through the journey to review the mystery behind all hidden apps on your Android device. This can shed light on the various strategies and methods you can use to reveal what’s lying beneath the screen.

What do hidden apps look like on Android?

Basically, hidden apps on Android devices do not come with a specific visual appearance that could otherwise distinguish them from other regular apps on the device. What are hidden apps on Android? Typically, hidden apps are simply regular apps that have been concealed from the device’s app drawer or home screen. However, there are various methods you can use to reveal hidden apps on your Android device.

How to find hidden apps on Android?

How to view hidden apps on Android? Detecting hidden apps on your Android device basically involves exploring your device’s home screen, app drawer, folders and reviewing your device’s app visibility settings in the device’s system settings. Besides, you can use a third-party app for scanning tools from the device’s Google Play Store. Inspecting your device regularly can help maintain security and transparency.

Follow the methods to do it.

How to find hidden spy apps on Android?

Discovering a hidden spy app on an Android device is basically to safeguard your security and privacy. So, where to find hidden apps on Android? Simply, you can go to your settings and explore and find the unknown “Apps” you phone have. For more details, you can explore the methods below.

Method 1. Discover Hidden Apps through the Settings Menu

Step 1. Go to your device’s home screen and tap on the “Settings” icon.

Step 2. On the “Settings app” > “Apps notifications” tab. And then tap on it.

Step 3. While in the “Apps option” tap on the “See all apps” option.

Step 4. You’ll be able to see all the apps downloaded on the device including hidden spy apps.

Method 2. Detect Hidden Apps through File Manager

You’re quite familiar with the File Manager of your Android phone. It is not surprising to learn that you can use it to help you discover hidden spy apps on your Android device. Follow these simple steps to find hidden spy apps on your device.

Step 1. Go to “Android app drawer.”

Step 2. Tap on the “File Manager” tab or the “Files app” to open it.

Step 3. Select “Apps” to access all apps running on the device.

Step 4. You should be able to see a category for APKs which allows you to identify apps installed from unrealistic sources.

Step 5. Check out for the app information and possibly uninstall spy apps.

Method 3. Find Hidden Apps via a Special Access

This is another effective way of finding hidden apps on your Android device. It is typically one of the best methods especially if you don’t have much time to check your phone. Your Android device menu includes a category for all Special apps access. This feature helps separate apps based on their privileges on your device.

Step 1. Go to “Settings” and tap on the “Apps” icon.

Step 2. Scroll down and choose “Special app access.”

Step 3. Tap on apps available here such as “Premium SMS access,” “Unrestricted data,” or ” Wi-Fi control” among others.

Step 4. You can uninstall unknown apps for your privacy and security.

Method 4. Detect Hidden Apps via Android App Drawer Folders

Do you know, if you swipe up on your Android device home screen, you’ll open the app drawer? The app drawer is a place where some system apps and all downloaded apps are stored. Now, someone can create several folders and store a number of apps together in your Android device app drawer.

Here are steps on how to find apps hidden on App Drawer folders.

Step 1: Tap on the “Apps” icon on the home screen or swipe up on the screen.

Step 2. Examine all folders to detect any unfamiliar or suspicious apps. Often, folders with spy apps are concealed with general names such as “System,” “Tools,” or “Utilities.”

Step 3. Uninstall Suspicious Apps if you discover apps you didn’t install by yourself or are seemingly suspicious. Long-press the app icon, drag it to the “Remove” or “Uninstall” option.

How to find hidden tracking/tracker apps on Android?

Uncovering hidden tracking/ tracker apps on your Android device is very crucial especially when it comes to safeguarding your data or privacy. These clever apps can silently monitor your device’s activities and even compromise your personal information. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to find such aps and hence ensure that your privacy is intact.

Method 1. Using Safety & Emergency” option

Step 1. On your Android device, tap on the “Settings” option.

Step 2. Tap on the “Safety & Emergency” option then “Unknown tracker alerts.”

Step 3. Your device takes about 10 seconds to finish the scan. Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of apps tracking your device in the background.

Method 2. Check your device permissions

Although checking your device’s location is a bit time-consuming, confirming which apps are accessing your device’s location, microphone, or camera can significantly help you detect any hidden spy app that’s secretly tracking your device. Here’s how to check your device permissions.

Step 1. Head to “Settings” > “Apps & notifications.”

Step 2. Tap “Apps & notifications.”

Step 3. “App Permissions”> “Permission Manager.”

Step 4. Go to “Location” and inspect the apps allowed access.

Step 5. If you notice an app that’s accessing your “Location” without your permission, you’ve a reason to question its credibility.

Method 3. Keep an eye on your Google Play Protect

Android devices come with a built-in virus and malware scanner turned on by default. Now, if you have not disabled this by yourself, but you check it and find it turned off, it means that somebody could have probably installed hidden spyware on your device. Here’s how to determine if your Google Play Protect settings are okay.

Step 1. Go to the “Google Play Store” on your device.

Step 2. Open the “Menu.” You may be required to tap on your profile picture at the upper right.

Step 3. Select “Play Protect.”

Step 4. Tap on the “Setting cog” located at the upper right corner.

Step 5. Tap “Scan” and toggle on “Scan apps with Play Protect.”

How to find hidden apps on Samsung?

Samsung devices are highly favored by millions of users especially due to their rich customization options such as excellent ability to conceal unwanted apps from both the home screen and the app drawer. As a result, the hidden apps feature is a top choice by many users for safeguarding critical apps and maintaining strict control over personal data. By hiding apps on your Samsung device, you can certainly limit access to your device thus preventing family members, friends and young individuals from getting to them without your authorization.

Here’s how to find hidden apps on your Samsung smartphone.

Method 1. In the Settings

Step 1. Open “Settings” and tap on the “Apps.”

Step 2. Within the “Apps” tab, you’ll see options like “App list,” “App manager,” or “All apps.” Just select the one that corresponds to your Samsung model settings.

Step 3. You should be able to see the list of all apps installed on your Samsung device.

Step 4. Tap on the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the upper top of the screen.

Step 5. On the dropdown menu, select “Show hidden apps.

Step 6. You’ll be able to see all the hidden apps on your device.

Method 2. In the Home Screen

Step 1. Tap on the “Home Screen” to see other options.

Step 2. Tap on the “Home Screen Settings” option.

Step 3. Select the “Hide apps” option and scroll through the list of apps to see the hidden apps. You can also tap on the “More” and tap on the “Show System apps.”

Step 4. If there’s a hidden app, the disabled should “appear” in the application’s name field.

Step 5. Tap on the target app and tap “Enable” to examine an app.

How to uninstall hidden spy phone app on Android?

Apart from knowing the various ways of finding hidden apps, it’s also important to learn how to uninstall such secret apps and files in your Android device. Now, if you detect an unusual activity on your device from a third-party app, hit the uninstall button immediately.

Here are simple steps on how to achieve this:

Method 1. Uninstall Manually

Step 1. On your Android device, tap “Settings.”

Step 2. Scroll down and tap “Apps.”

Step 3. Check if there’s any App that you can’t remember installing but it’s running on your device.

Step 4. Select the {App} and tap on “Uninstall.”

Method 2. Factory Data Reset your Android device

Tracing spy app files can sometimes be difficult since most of them are disguised as normal apps or hidden such that you can’t figure out where exactly they’re. This is why performing a factory reset can be an effective option to remove such spy apps.

Step 1. Open your Android device “Settings.”

Step 2. Opt to “Backup and Reset.”

Step 3. Select “Factory data reset.”

Step 4. Choose “Reset” phone.

Step 5. Key in your password or PIN to ascertain your actions.

Step 6. Opt in to “reset your phone from a backup” or “Start from scratch.”

How do I unhide hidden apps on Android?

Now that you’ve learned the various techniques of hiding apps on your Android devices, probably your next question will be “How do I unhide apps on my Android device? The good news is that unhiding hidden apps on your device is not difficult.

How to open hidden apps?

Here are the various methods of uncovering hidden apps on Android devices.

Method 1. Unhide Apps via App Drawer Folder

Here are steps on how to find apps hidden on App Drawer folders.

Step 1. Tap on the “Apps” icon on the home screen or swipe up on the screen.

Step 2. Examine all folders to detect any unfamiliar or suspicious apps. Often, folders with spy apps are concealed with general names such as “System,” “Tools,” or “Utilities.”

Step 3. Unhide Apps by long pressing the apps icon and dragging it to the home screen. The main app drawer can also unhide it.

Step 4. Long-press the app icon and drag it to the “Remove” or “Uninstall” option.

Method 2: Via the Setting option

Step 1. Go to “Settings.”

Step 2. Head to “Apps” in the settings menu.

Step 3. Scroll down to “Show hidden Apps” to open it.

Step 4. Tap on the App icon you want to unhide.

Step 5. Follow the simple on-screen instructions to uncover it.

How to find and block hidden apps on FlashGet Kids?

FlashGet Kids App is a great third-party app that can help you manage and block all types of apps installed on your kid’s device including the hidden apps. Besides, you can use it to block access to specific apps and even set strict mode on your child’s phones using its blocking zones and block time feature. Here’s how to use it on your kid’s device to block hidden apps.

Step 1. Go to “Usage Limits” then select turn on “Forbid New Apps” to “block new or all installed apps.”

Step 2. To find hidden apps on your kid’s device.

Select “Always Allow” apps. Go to “Usage Limits” then to “Always allow” then “Select or Search Apps” and finally tap “Save.”

Step 3. To prevent your kids from using the hidden app on their device;

Go to “App limits” then “Add limits” “Select Apps.” If you find the unknown apps, you could block them.

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