How to hide text messages on Android phones
Every little message we receive today can be tracked. While this is concerning for the customers, the fact that people can pry into their phones and access sensitive text messages is an even bigger immediate threat. So how can you make sure your text messages are safe? Well, the safest option would be to delete the message altogether, thus removing any trail from your smartphone. But what if you want those messages and yet don’t want to show it to people handling your phones? Well, that’s where Android apps come into the picture. There are a variety of apps out there that let you hide your text messages on Android.
We are going to talk about five of the best apps available on the Play Store right now that will help you hide your text messages from prying eyes. In addition to hiding your messages, these apps can also hide other sensitive data for you within your phone, which is a bonus. These apps have been available for quite some time, so it’s possible that you might have seen some of these by now. In any case, be sure to check them all out.
How to hide text messages on Android phones
Vault-Hide
This is a massive vault app for Android that lets you hide a variety of content on your phone, including text messages, of course. You can even hide your sensitive apps from prying eyes, so if there’s an IM app (WhatsApp, Telegram, Line etc), you can make sure these do not appear to people who use your phone. Once you install the app, you will be asked to set a unique password or pattern that will be secret to you. Of course, you can choose to share this with your loved ones, but we suggest you don’t as it pretty much defeats the purpose of having this app. It’s for your eyes only.
In addition to these features that we talked about, Vault-Hide also comes with a cloud backup option, allowing you to store all your phone data securely on the cloud. This feature is instrumental in helping you migrate to a new phone as all the backed up data can be restored conveniently. You aren’t limited to making just one vault, and you can have a handful of vaults with their unique password. This is useful if your device is used by more than one person. The app is free to download, although you might have to make some in-app purchases to get access to the full suite of features. There are ads on board. It has been downloaded over 50 million times, which suggests that it’s immensely popular in the marketplace.
App Hider
This app is pretty similar to the app we talked about above. However, the similarities end with the functionality, as the rest of the features are pretty unique and distinctive. You don’t get the full suite of backup features that we see with Vault-Hide, but App Hider lets you hide complete apps, so you know exactly where to find the apps you are looking for. This is handy for instant messaging apps that have no protection from prying. You can even hide sensitive apps that you might not want your friends or family to know about.
You can even choose to hide individual photos and videos from your Gallery, which is useful if you don’t want some media content to be seen by prying eyes. The app is disguised as a calculator which makes for an excellent camouflage, even if people manage to find the app. The best part here is that users don’t need a rooted device to get access to the features we have just discussed. It’s a free app and has ads on board with in-app purchases helping you get rid of them. Android devices running version 4.1 and up are compatible with the app.
Private Message Box
This is an IM app and a message hiding service built into one. In addition to hiding your private messages (SMS), it also allows two users of the app to talk to each other within the app. They can even send audio, video and other media files to each other just like they would on any other IM app. To make sure some of your messages are hidden, you will have to save them as “Private Contact”. Following this, every message you get from them will go into the password protected secret folder. The UI doesn’t leave us very impressed, but that’s not particularly an issue given that this is primarily a SMS hiding tool. The app has a hidden mail box icon, with no dedicated app icon.
You can set a timer for the app to close on its own. This is a helpful feature if you don’t want to hide certain messages forever. The developer specifies that the default code for the app is 1234, which will have to be input while first opening it. To start using the IM features, customers will have to register their phone number, like they would on other apps. You might not find a lot of your friends here, but the idea is to spread the word around and help others get on board. It’s a free app, but there are ads an in-app purchases on board.
AppLock
This is one of the most popular app lock applications available out there. If you’ve been an Android user for a while, the chances are that you have heard of this app at least once. The reason for its popularity is simple – it offers exactly what it advertises. It hides all the apps that you consider sensitive, thus saving embarrassment among your peers. It’s been around for a while and has improved significantly as time has passed. It also comes with its own lockscreen which can help you add an extra layer of security on your phone, requiring a PIN or pattern to unlock it. However, we recommend using the stock Android security options to unlock your phone. It has been downloaded nearly 50 million times, making it immensely popular in the marketplace. It’s a free app, but there are ads and in-app purchases on board.
Private SMS & Call
This goes beyond conventional app hiding policies as it goes completely invisible from your device if that’s what you want. You can make it appear again by dialing the PIN (ex: ##1234). In addition to hiding your text messages, it can also hide your call logs. If you have some contacts that are meant for your eyes only, you can hide them entirely from the device’s main contacts page. This means that these contacts will only be visible through the app and not otherwise. There are some security features in place that can be very helpful. For example, you can shake the phone rigorously to close the application immediately. This app is definitely worth a try if hiding texts and/or calls is what you need. It’s a free app but you will have to deal with ads.