Hide contacts on an Android device

 

Method 1: System Tools

On many Android smartphones, there are ways to hide contacts without installing additional software.

Option 1: Move contacts

The method of moving phone book numbers does not hide completely, but allows you to remove them from the general list. The bottom line is to transfer the entries, for example, to a SIM card, and then prohibit the display of its contents. Consider how to do this using the example of a Samsung smartphone , but this option is available on any other device.

1. Open "Contacts", go to the "Menu" of the application, click "Manage Contacts" ,

2. and then "Move contacts" .

1. We choose where we want to move the numbers from, select the ones that interest us from the list and click "Finish" .

1. We indicate where they will be moved, and tap "Move" .

1. Now open the "Menu" again and select the display of numbers from the phone. There will be no subscribers transferred to the SIM card in this list.

Option 2: Proprietary software

Some manufacturers' devices have a secure location where users can hide personal data, including contacts. For example, in some Huawei models, this technology is called "Private Space" . It allows you to create something like a guest profile, which will only show the data allowed by the owner of the device. In Samsung smartphones, a similar tool is called Secure Folder , but it works differently.

1. If there is no folder in the application menu, it may need to be activated first. To do this, open "Settings" , then "Biometrics and security" and select "Secure folder" .

1. To use Secure Folder , you need a Samsung account. How to create it is described in detail in another article on our website.

   We accept the terms of use and log in to your account or verify your identity if authorization on this phone has already been completed. We are waiting for the completion of the creation of the "Protected Folder" .

1. Choose one of the locking methods - pattern, PIN code or password. They will be required the first time you log into Secure Folder and after each reboot of the device, as well as a biometric data type as an alternative method of identity verification. Click "Next" .

1. In our case, a password is selected, so we enter the characters, confirm them and tap "OK" .
2. To hide a number already entered in the phone book, open it, find the desired contact, enter the "Menu"
3. and tap "Move to a protected folder" . To confirm actions, we use biometric data or another registered method.
4. To add a contact immediately to Secure Folder , open it, go to the Contacts application,
5. click the plus icon, enter the necessary data and tap "Save" . Now this subscriber will be displayed only in the "Protected Folder" .
6. To restore the display of the record, open the list of numbers in the Secure Folder again , select the desired contact, go to the "Menu"
7. and tap "Move from protected folder" .

8. Option 3: Hiding Apps

   A completely radical method is to hide all contacts along with applications, but in this case, in order to make a call, you will have to restore their display each time. This feature is available on devices from some manufacturers. We will show how this works on the example of a Samsung smartphone.

   1. Open the display settings and go to the main screen options.
   1. We go to the section "Hide applications" , in the block "All applications" select "Contacts" , as well as "Phone" , since through it you can access the numbers, and click "Apply" .
   1. To restore them, tap on the icons in the "Hidden applications" block and confirm the action.

   Method 2: Third party software

   If none of the above options work, you can use third-party software. Let's see how to hide the number using the HiCont application on any device with Android 4.4 and higher.

   Download HiCont from Google Play Store

   1. We launch the software and select the unlock method: a password, a picture, or an arithmetic operation, for example, adding two numbers. In this case, select a picture, connect at least four points and confirm the pattern.

   Specify the email address (only Gmail) to restore access to the application and tap "Finish" .
9. Or just press the back arrow.
10. 1. A screen with a list of numbers in the phonebook will open. We find the subscriber we want to hide, tap the icon with a crossed out eye and confirm the choice. It will no longer be displayed in the notebook.

    1. To restore the display, in HiCont go to the "Hidden Contacts" tab and again click the icon on the right. The numbers need to be restored, because if they are simply deleted or the application itself is deleted, they will disappear from the phone book.

    Open "Menu" and go to "Settings" .
11. Here you can change the security key for logging into the application.
12. Enable sound alarm, set the number of failed login attempts,
13. and also change email for recovery.