What is Samsung Secure Folder, and how do you use it?

We have more sensitive data on our phones today than ever before. VPNs help keep our browsing safe, and security chips in phones help keep our data safe, but how do we keep our private items private? That’s where locked folders, which allow you to keep your files locked behind a PIN or biometrics, come in handy. Secure Folder is Samsung’s version of this feature, which is available on all the best Samsung phones. This guide examines what Secure Folder is and how you can use it to keep your data secure.

What is Secure Folder?

Secure Folder is a place to store all your private information that you don’t want others to access. You can store any type of data, including photos, videos, documents, and anything else you can have on your phone. The folder is kept secure using Samsung’s Knox security platform, which encrypts all your data. You can also add a password, PIN, or biometric lock on the folder to keep it even more secure. You can also add apps to your secure folder so that you can use a separate account from the regular version of your app.

How to set up Secure Folder

To use Samsung Secure Folder, you’ll need a Samsung account. Most people create one when they sign in to their first Samsung device, but if you haven’t, now’s the time.

You must also ensure that Samsung Secure Folder is on your device and activated. Newer Samsung phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, should have the app preinstalled. If you don’t see it on a newer device, the feature may need to be turned on by going to the Settings app and tapping Security and Privacy > Secure Folder > Add Secure Folder to Apps screen. You can also go to the app drawer by swiping up on the homescreen and searching for Secure Folder. You may have to install the app if you don’t see that option or have an older device.

1. Once the app is on your device, launch it.
2. Tap Continue, and sign in with your Samsung account if you’re not signed in.

   

   

3. Choose whether you’d like to unlock the folder with biometrics, a PIN, or a pattern, and tap Next.
4. Once this setup is complete, Secure Folder is good to go.

   

   

How to add items to Secure Folder

Now that Secure Folder is set up, it’s time to use it. There are a few different ways to add content to your Secure Folder. The most apparent may be in the app. To add apps from the Secure Folder app:

1. Launch the Secure Folder app.
2. Tap the plus button at the top.

   

3. Select the apps you’d like to add to Secure Folder. You can also download an app from the Play Store or the Galaxy Store to add to Secure Folder.
4. Tap the Add button at the bottom.

   

You’ll now have the app in your Secure Folder. Adding files is slightly different but just as simple:

1. Open the Secure Folder app.
2. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner.
3. Select Add files from the menu.
4. Tap the file type you’d like to add to Secure Folder.

   

   

5. Select the files to move and tap the Done button in the upper-right corner.
6. Choose whether you want to move or copy the file to Secure Folder.

Once you’ve finished that process, you’ll find your items in the My Files app with the Secure Folder app. You can also add files from a Samsung app that can access them. For example, you can add a photo to Secure Folder from Samsung Gallery.

1. Find a Samsung app from the app launcher and open it.
2. Open the file you’d like to move.
3. Tap the three dots in the lower-right corner.
4. Select the Move to Secure Folder option from the menu.

   

How to hide and customize Secure Folder

There are a few options to make your Secure Folder a little more discreet to hide it from prying eyes. The first is to hide it from your app drawer.

1. Launch the Secure Folder app.
2. Tap the three dots in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Flip the Add Secure Folder to Apps screen toggle.

   

   

The Secure Folder icon will no longer show up in the app drawer. Instead, you’ll access it through Settings. Secure Folder also has the option to disguise it.

1. Open Secure Folder.
2. Tap the menu button (the three dots in the upper-right corner).
3. Select the Customize option from the menu.

   

   

Here, you can rename the app and change the color and image of the icon. This can make the app appear as something else so that people won’t suspect it if you’re trying to hide it.

Lock down your important files

We all have personal files and accounts we like to keep private, and Secure Folder is the place to do so on a Samsung phone. You can keep apps and all kinds of files locked in your Secure Folder so that only you can access them. There are other ways to keep your information private while using an Android phone.