Use Secure Folder on your Samsung Galaxy

Last Update date : Dec 13. 2025
Secure Folder screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing protected apps.

Your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet contains a lot of personal information. Secure Folder gives you a protected space where you can store photos, files, apps, and other private content. Everything inside Secure Folder is locked behind its own passcode or biometric lock and is protected by Samsung Knox, so only you can open it. It’s an easy way to keep your important data safe and separate from the rest of your device.

Note: The screens and settings on your device may vary depending on your wireless provider and software version.

Setting up Secure Folder is quick and only needs to be done once. This creates a protected space on your device where you can store your private apps and data.

1 Open the Settings menu. Then scroll through the options and tap Security and privacy.
2 Scroll through the menu and tap More security settings.
3 Tap Secure Folder.
More security settings screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder option.

Note: If your device does not support Secure Folder, the feature will not appear in the Security and privacy menu.

4 Tap Continue, then tap Continue again to allow the required permissions.

Note: If needed, sign in to your Samsung account, and then tap OK.

5 You’ll be prompted to set up a security method like a PIN, Password or Pattern for accessing Secure Folder. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your passcode.
6 You’ll be prompted to allow lock reset with Samsung account. If you leave this option off, you will not be able to access your Secure Folder if you forget your passcode. Tap Allow if you want to be able to recover your Secure Folder.
7 Tap Next, and then enter your passcode if prompted to access your Secure Folder.

After setting up Secure Folder, you can access it whenever you need to use your private apps and content.

Note: Secure Folder can only be accessed on your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet. It cannot be opened from the web or a computer.

From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it. You will be required to enter your security credentials when prompted.

Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.

Note: If you can’t find the Secure Folder icon on the Apps screen, open the Settings menu. Then scroll through the options and tap Security and privacy. Scroll through the menu and tap More security settings. Tap Secure Folder. Enter your PIN, password or pattern to access your Secure Folder. Finally, tap the switch next to “Add Secure Folder to Apps screen” to turn it on or off.

You can keep Secure Folder private in different ways. If you want to hide it completely, you can remove it from your Apps screen. You can also customize its name and icon so it appears more discreet on your device.

Hide Secure Folder

Open the Quick Settings panel, then locate and tap the Secure Folder icon to hide or unhide the app.

Quick Settings panel on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
  • If the icon is missing from Quick Settings: If you can’t find the Secure Folder icon in the Quick Settings panel, you may simply need to add it to the panel. We have a complete guide if you need help to manage your Quick Settings panel.
  • Alternative way to add Secure Folder to Apps screen: You can also add or remove the Secure Folder icon from the Apps screen using the Settings menu. Open the Settings menu, then tap Security and privacy. Scroll through the options and tap More security settings. Tap Secure Folder. Enter your PIN, password or pattern to access your Secure Folder. Then tap the switch next to Add Secure Folder to Apps screen to turn it on or off.

Customize the Secure Folder icon

You can keep the Secure Folder shortcut in plain sight by customizing its name, color or icon so it blends in with your other apps.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Customize.
More options menu in Secure Folder showing the Customize option.
4 From here, you can change the app’s name, color and icon.
Customization screen for Secure Folder showing color and icon options.
5 When you are done, tap Apply.

You may want to keep certain apps private, especially if they contain sensitive information. By adding them to Secure Folder, you can use them safely and confidently. No one will even know the apps are on your device except you.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the Add apps icon (the plus sign).
Secure Folder screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Add apps icon.
4 Tap a desired app to add it to the folder, then tap Add.
5 You’ll see a copy of the app appear in your Secure Folder.

Note: Apps added to Secure Folder work independently from the versions outside the folder. This means you can use separate accounts, settings and data without affecting the original app on your device.

You can add files to Secure Folder directly from inside the app. This is useful when you want to keep documents, images or other content private.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Add files.
More options menu in Secure Folder showing the Add files option.
4 You can now choose a file type (Images, Videos, Audio or Documents), or use My Files to find any file on your device.

You can move pictures or files to your Secure Folder at any time, even when you aren’t signed into it. This is useful when you want to protect content directly from your Gallery or My Files app.

1 Open the app that contains the files you want to move, such as the Gallery app.
2 Touch and hold the file or files you want to move into the Secure Folder.
3 Tap the More options icon, then tap Move to Secure Folder.
Gallery options menu on a Samsung Galaxy showing Move to Secure Folder.
4 The file or files will be moved, and you can view them in the Secure Folder.

If you accidentally added an app to Secure Folder or no longer need it there, you can easily remove it by uninstalling the Secure Folder copy.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap and hold an app you want to remove from Secure Folder, then tap Select.
Select menu for an app in Secure Folder showing the Select option.
4 To uninstall additional apps, tap each app you want to remove to select them.
5 After selecting the apps you want to uninstall, tap Uninstall at the bottom of the screen.
6 You will need to tap OK or Disable for each app to confirm.

Note: If you want to uninstall only one app, you can tap Uninstall directly after the long press on the app shortcut instead of tapping Select. You will need to tap OK or Disable to confirm.

If you want to move a picture, video or other file out of your Secure Folder, you can do it using the My Files app inside Secure Folder.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap My Files and browse for the file you want to move out of Secure Folder.

Note: If your file is a picture or a video, you can also select Gallery.

4 Touch and hold the file to select it, tap More at the bottom of the screen, then tap Move out of Secure Folder.
My Files menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Move out of Secure Folder option.

Note: If the file was previously saved on your SD card, it will be moved to a new folder and stored in your device’s internal storage.

You can easily change the settings and preferences for Secure Folder to match your needs.

1 Open the Settings menu. Then scroll through the options and tap Security and privacy.
2 Scroll through the menu and tap More security settings.
3 Tap Secure Folder.
More security settings screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder option.
4 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
5 The following settings will be available:
  • Lock type: Choose how you’ll unlock Secure Folder. You can select a PIN, password or pattern lock, and enable Fingerprint unlock on supported devices. You can also turn on Reset with Samsung account, which lets you unlock Secure Folder if you forget your security method.
Secure Folder lock type screen on a Galaxy phone.
  • Auto lock Secure Folder: Choose when Secure Folder will lock automatically.
  • Add Secure Folder to Apps screen: Add a shortcut for Secure Folder on your Apps screen.
  • Notifications: Allow notifications from apps in Secure Folder to appear even when Secure Folder is locked.
  • Apps: Manage the apps installed in Secure Folder.
  • Galaxy AI: View and enable advanced intelligence features.
  • Manage accounts: Log in to accounts and manage them within Secure Folder.
  • Restore from backup: Secure Folder no longer supports creating new backups, but you can still restore data from previous backups. For more details, see the “Manage account sync options” section.
  • More settings: Set up Samsung Pass and use its autofill features within Secure Folder. You can also monitor the amount of data used by secured apps.
  • Other security settings: Manage security certificates, contact info, clipboard access and data decryption.
  • Privacy Policy: View Samsung’s privacy policy.
  • About Secure Folder: View the current version, terms and conditions and open source licenses.

Important: Secure Folder no longer supports creating new backups, but you can still restore data from previous backups. Please see the next section for more details.

Restore data

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings.
More options menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Settings option.
4 Tap Restore from backup, then tap Add account.
Restore from backup screen in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Add account option.
5 You will be prompted to sign in to your Samsung account. Enter your account credentials, then tap Sign in.
6 Agree to the terms and conditions. You may also be prompted to verify your device using 2-step verification.
7 Open Secure Folder again.
8 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings. Tap Restore from backup again.
9 Tap Restore.
10 Select your desired data, then tap Restore to begin restoring from your Samsung account.

Delete backup data

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings.
4 Tap Restore from backup.
5 Tap Delete Secure Folder backup data.
Restore from backup screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Delete Secure Folder backup data option.
6 You will be asked to select the data you want to delete and confirm your decision.

Use auto sync

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings.
4 Tap Manage accounts.
5 Tap the switch next to “Auto sync Secure Folder data”, then tap OK when prompted.

Although backing up your data is no longer supported in Secure Folder, you can still restore data from previous backups and transfer your Secure Folder to a new device using Smart Switch.

1 Prepare the connection for both devices.
  • Wired: If you are using a wired connection, plug one end of the USB cable into the charging port of the new phone, and connect the other end to the charging port of the old phone.

Note: If you're using a USB to USB Type-C adapter, plug the adapter into your new phone.

  • Wireless: If you are using a wireless transfer, place the devices within 4 inches of each other.
2 Swipe up on the Home screen to open the Apps screen. Tap the Search field, then enter and select Smart Switch to open the app. Alternatively, open the Samsung folder on the Apps screen and tap Smart Switch.
3 On the new device, tap Receive on this phone. Then, on the old device, tap Send from this phone.
4 Select your preferred transfer method:
  • Wireless: On the new device, tap Galaxy/Android, then tap Wireless. A QR code will be displayed. On the old device, tap Wireless data, then scan the QR code on the new phone.
  • Wired: On the new device, tap Galaxy/Android, then tap Cable. On the old device, tap Cable, then tap Connect.
5 Complete the connection by tapping Allow on the old device.
6 On your new device, tap the right arrow next to Apps, then select Secure Folder. Alternatively, tap the right arrow next to Secure Folder to choose specific content to transfer. After making your selection, tap Done, then tap Done again, and finally tap Transfer.
7 When the transfer is complete, tap Close on the new device.
8 Open Secure Folder on the new device to confirm that your data has been transferred.

You can update Secure Folder to the latest version from its Settings menu. You can also use the Play Store or Galaxy Store to update the apps installed in your Secure Folder.

Update Secure Folder

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings.
More options menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Settings option.
4 Swipe to and tap About Secure Folder.
About Secure Folder option on a Samsung Galaxy screen.
5 Update Secure Folder from this screen if an update is available.

Update apps

  • From the Play Store: Open the Play Store, then tap your Google account icon in the top right corner. Tap Manage apps & devices. From the Overview tab, tap Updates available. Tap Update next to your desired app, or tap Update all at the top of the screen.
  • From the Galaxy Store: Open the Galaxy Store, then tap Menu at the bottom. Tap Updates, then tap the Update icon next to your desired app. Or, tap Update all at the top of the screen.

For added security, you can turn on enhanced encryption in Secure Folder to help keep your data protected from advanced threats.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Encrypt.
More options menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Encrypt option.
4 Tap Encrypt again to confirm your decision.

Note: All apps and their notifications in Secure Folder will stop working until you decrypt it again.

5 To decrypt Secure Folder, open the app and tap Decrypt. Apps in Secure Folder will run normally and send notifications again.

To keep your data secure, it’s important to know how to properly lock and exit Secure Folder.

Customize Auto lock Secure Folder

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Settings.
More options menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Settings option.
4 Tap Auto lock Secure Folder.
5 Select your preferred option from the list. Secure Folder will automatically lock according to the option you choose.

Manually lock and exit

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
3 Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), then tap Lock and exit.
More options menu in Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Lock and exit option.
4 Your device will exit Secure Folder and lock it automatically, keeping your private data protected.

Troubleshooting tips

  • If you’re unable to find the Lock and exit option, ensure your device is updated to the latest version of One UI 8.
  • If you encounter an issue, restart your device and try again.

Important: If you did not enable Reset with Samsung account when you set your security method (refer to the first paragraph of this guide), you will not be able to recover access to your Secure Folder if you forget your PIN, password or pattern. In this case, your only option will be to remove Secure Folder and set up a new one.

If you have forgotten the security credentials for your Secure Folder, you can reset them easily as long as Reset with Samsung account is enabled.

1 From a Home screen, swipe up to open the Apps screen, then tap Secure Folder to access it.
Apps screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder icon.
2 Enter what you believe is your PIN, pattern or password.
3 If it is incorrect, tap Forgot PIN, Forgot pattern or Forgot password, depending on your lock type. Then tap Reset on the pop-up notification.
Reset pattern prompt on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Reset option.
4 Sign in to your Samsung account.
5 You will be prompted to create another PIN, pattern, password or use a registered fingerprint.
6 Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your new security credentials. You will now be able to access Secure Folder again.

You can completely uninstall Secure Folder from your Galaxy phone or tablet if you want to remove all of its contents.

1 Open the Settings menu. Then scroll through the options and tap Security and privacy.
2 Scroll through the menu and tap More security settings.
3 Tap Secure Folder.
More security settings screen on a Samsung Galaxy showing the Secure Folder option.
4 Enter your security credentials if prompted.
5 Tap More settings, then tap Uninstall.
Uninstall option for the Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy screen.
6 Review the information, then tap Uninstall to confirm.

Note: You can also select the option Move media files out of Secure Folder before uninstalling.

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