How to Hide Apps in Realme: Step-by-Step Guide

Realme phones run on Realme UI, which is based on Android, and they give you a few ways to keep apps out of sight. You can hide apps so they don’t appear on the home screen or in the app drawer, and you can also lock them behind a password or fingerprint. This guide walks you through the built-in methods—no third-party apps needed—so you can keep sensitive apps like banking, messaging, or photos private.

What You’ll Need

• A Realme phone running Realme UI (version 1.0 or later, which covers most models from 2019 onward).
• Your phone’s unlock password, PIN, or pattern—you’ll need it to set up or access hidden apps.
• If you want to use fingerprint or face unlock to open hidden apps, make sure those are already set up in Settings > Fingerprint, Face & Password.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Hide Apps from the Home Screen and App Drawer

1. Open the Settings app on your Realme phone. You can find it in the app drawer or by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping the gear icon.
2. Scroll down and tap Home screen & lock screen (on some versions it may be called Home screen & wallpaper).
3. Look for the option labeled Hide apps. Tap it.
4. You’ll see a list of all installed apps. Tap the ones you want to hide—a checkmark will appear next to each selected app.
5. Tap Done (or the checkmark in the top-right corner) to confirm.
6. The selected apps will now disappear from the home screen and the app drawer. They are still installed and can be accessed through the hidden apps feature (see below).

Method 2: Access Hidden Apps

1. To view your hidden apps, go back to Settings > Home screen & lock screen > Hide apps.
2. You’ll see the same list. The apps you hid will have a checkmark. To unhide them, simply tap them to remove the checkmark, then tap Done.
3. Alternatively, you can access hidden apps directly from the home screen by pinching outward (spreading two fingers) on the home screen. This gesture opens the hidden apps view, where you’ll see all apps you’ve hidden. Tap one to open it.

Method 3: Lock Apps with a Password or Fingerprint (App Lock)

1. Open Settings and tap Security & privacy (on some versions it’s just Security).
2. Tap App lock. You may be asked to enter your phone’s password or set up a separate App Lock password.
3. If you haven’t set up App Lock before, you’ll be prompted to create a 4-digit password. You can also choose to allow fingerprint or face unlock to open locked apps.
4. Once inside App Lock settings, you’ll see a list of apps. Toggle on the switch next to each app you want to lock.
5. Now when you open one of those apps, it will ask for your App Lock password, fingerprint, or face. The app still appears in the app drawer, but it’s protected from being opened without your permission.

Method 4: Use a Secure Folder (If Available)

1. Some Realme models have a Secure Folder feature. To check, go to Settings > Security & privacy and look for Secure Folder or Private Space.
2. If it’s there, tap it and follow the on-screen setup—you’ll need to sign in with your Realme account or set a separate password.
3. Once set up, you can add apps to the Secure Folder. Open the Secure Folder, tap the + icon, select the apps you want to move, and confirm.
4. Apps moved to the Secure Folder are completely hidden from the app drawer and home screen. To access them, you open the Secure Folder (usually via a shortcut or through Settings) and enter the password.
5. If you don’t see this option, your model may not support it—stick with Methods 1 and 3.

Common Mistakes

• Hiding apps but not locking them: Hiding an app only removes it from the home screen and app drawer. If someone knows the pinch gesture or goes into Settings, they can see and open it. Always combine hiding with App Lock for sensitive apps.
• Forgetting the App Lock password: If you set a separate App Lock password and forget it, you’ll have to reset it, which may require logging into your Realme account or clearing the app’s data.
• Hiding system apps: Some system apps (like Settings or Phone) cannot be hidden. The Hide apps list only shows apps that are allowed to be hidden.
• Using the wrong gesture: On some Realme versions, the pinch gesture might not work if you have a third-party launcher installed. Make sure you’re using the default Realme launcher.

Tips

• Use App Lock for extra security: Even if you hide an app, it’s still vulnerable if someone finds it. App Lock adds a password or fingerprint requirement, so even if the app is discovered, it can’t be opened.
• Create a hidden folder shortcut: Some Realme versions let you create a shortcut to your hidden apps on the home screen. You can name it something innocuous like “Utilities” to avoid suspicion.
• Hide the hidden apps shortcut: If you don’t want the Secure Folder or App Lock shortcut visible on your home screen, you can remove it from the home screen and access it only through Settings.
• Use a different launcher: If you want more control, you can install a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher, which offers its own hide-apps feature. However, this may not integrate with Realme’s system-level hiding.
• Keep your phone updated: Realme UI updates sometimes change the location of these settings. If you can’t find an option, check for a software update in Settings > Software update.

Troubleshooting

• Can’t find the “Hide apps” option: On some Realme models, the option is under Settings > Home screen & lock screen, but on others it may be under Settings > Apps or Settings > Privacy. Use the search bar in Settings and type “hide apps” to locate it.
• Hidden apps still appear in the app drawer: This can happen if you’re using a third-party launcher. The system-level hide feature only works with the default Realme launcher. Switch back to the default launcher in Settings > Apps > Default apps > Home app.
• App Lock not working: If App Lock doesn’t prompt for a password, make sure you’ve actually enabled the toggle for that app. Also, check that you haven’t set the app to “Auto-lock” with a long delay—go to App Lock settings and set the lock timing to “Immediately” or “After 1 second.”
• Forgot App Lock password: On the App Lock password screen, tap “Forgot password?” and answer your security question or sign in with your Realme account. If that fails, you may need to clear the App Lock data: go to Settings > Apps > App Lock > Storage > Clear data. This resets the password but also removes all locked apps.
• Hidden apps not accessible via pinch gesture: Make sure you’re on the home screen (not in the app drawer) and use two fingers to pinch inward (spread them apart). If it doesn’t work, try going to Settings > Home screen & lock screen > Hide apps and tap the eye icon to view hidden apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will hidden apps still receive notifications?

Yes, hidden apps will still send notifications. If you want to hide the notifications too, go to Settings > Notifications & status bar > App notifications, select the app, and turn off notifications or set them to “Silent.”

Can I hide apps without using the Settings app?

Yes, you can use the pinch gesture on the home screen to quickly view hidden apps, but to hide or unhide them you still need to go through Settings. There’s no shortcut to hide an app directly from the app drawer.

Do hidden apps update automatically?

Yes, hidden apps are still installed and will update normally through the Play Store or the Realme App Market. The update process doesn’t unhide them.

Can I hide apps from the app drawer only, not the home screen?

No, the built-in “Hide apps” feature removes the app from both the home screen and the app drawer. If you only want to remove it from the home screen, you can just uninstall the shortcut by long-pressing the app icon and selecting “Remove” (not “Uninstall”).

Is there a way to hide apps from the recent apps view?

Yes, you can lock the app in the recent apps view so it stays in memory and shows a lock icon, but that doesn’t hide it. To prevent the app from appearing in recent apps, you can use the “App Lock” feature and then in App Lock settings, enable “Hide notification content” and “Lock when closed.” However, the app will still show in recent apps unless you clear it manually.

Will hiding an app free up storage space?

No, hiding an app only removes its icon from view. The app’s data and files remain on your phone. To free up storage, you need to uninstall the app or clear its cache/data.

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