As an Android user, you have incredible flexibility when it comes to privacy. Unlike other platforms, your phone comes packed with powerful built-in tools and can run specialized apps to keep your conversations secure.
This guide is dedicated exclusively to Android. We will go beyond a simple list of apps by giving you a deep dive into your phone’s native settings—from App Lock to the powerful Secure Folder, and then we‘ll explore the best app-based solutions for ultimate secrecy. Whether you want to hide a chat from prying eyes or make it completely invisible, you’ll find a step-by-step solution here.
Join us as we explore 6 effective methods of how to hide text messages on Android.
Method 1: How to Hide Text Message Previews on Your Lock Screen (The Quick Fix)
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to hide conversations on Android by disabling message preview or notification.
- Go to your phone’s Asetukset ja napsauta Notifications
- Then click on Lock screen notifications.
- Toggle on Hide content.

After doing this, all incoming private text messages Android will not be previewed.
Method 2: How to Use Your Phone’s Native App Lock (The First Defense)
You can also hide SMS Android by using your phone’s native App Lock feature to lock or password-protect your messaging apps. Here is how to do it on different Android skins;
Samsung
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Scroll down and click on Home Screen
- Klikkaa Hide apps on Home and App screens and select the apps you want to hide.

- Then click Done
Realme & Oppo
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Klikkaa Security, then App Lock

- Toggle on the apps you want to lock
Xiaomi & Redmi
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Scroll down and tap Sovelluksetja napauta sitten App Lock

- Napauta turn on, choose the apps you want to lock, then tap Use App Lock.
Vivo
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Klikkaa Tietosuoja ja napauta Privacy & app encryption

- Valitse App hiding, then toggle on the apps you want to lock

OnePlus
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Klikkaa Security & lock screen, then select App locker

- Add the messaging apps you want to lock
Method 3: The Ultimate Built-in Solution – Using Secure Folder or PrivateSpace
Next up, let’s discuss the ultimate built-in solution to how to hide text messages on Android – Secure Folder.
What is a Secure Folder?
A secure folder is a private space on your phone where you can store apps, files, and data, protecting them with a passcode or biometric lock. When you put your messaging apps in a secure folder, you are able to efficiently lock text messages Android and keep them from unauthorized access.
How to Set Up and Use Secure Folder for Secret Texts
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Klikkaa Security and privacy, then select Secure Folder

- Sign in with your phone’s account (e.g. a Samsung account)
- Choose a Lock type – PIN, password, pattern, or fingerprint, that you will subsequently use to access the folder

- After setting up, open the Secure Folder on your Home or Apps screen
- Napauta + icon and lock your messaging app in the folder

- All text messages sent to the messaging app afterward are hidden unless you use your chosen lock type to access the secure folder.
Pro Tip: How to Hide the Secure Folder Icon Itself
You need to hide the Secure Folder icon from your Home and App screen so that you can effectively use your Android, e.g. Samsung to hide text messages. Follow these simple steps;
- Siirry osoitteeseen Asetukset
- Klikkaa Biometrics and security, then select Secure Folder
- Toggle off Add Secure Folder to Apps Screen.

Method 4: The Best Calculator App that Hides Texts on Android
Another method of how to hide text messages on Android is to use a calculator app that can help hide texts, messaging apps, and files. One of such apps is the Calculator Pro+.

It uses a functioning calculator as a disguise whereas it is capable of hiding text messages. When the app is opened, it functions as a normal calculator, but when you enter a specific passcode or pattern within the interface of the calculator, you unlock a hidden vault where private messages and files are stored.
Here are the features that make Calculator Pro+ suitable for sending Android secret text messages.
- You can move and hide messages from designated contacts behind the calculator interface.
- Hidden messages are kept secure with fake pins or passcodes.
- The app automatically closes after a period of inactivity, enhancing security.
- You can use Calculator Pro+ to chat with other Calculator Pro+ users.
- You can customize the calculator’s appearance.
Method 5: The Notification Manager – How to Stop All Message Alerts for a Secret Chat
There are various specialized notification management apps that you can also use when searching for how to hide text messages on Android. These apps help users to filter, prioritize, and customize notifications so as to prevent prying eyes from viewing their text messages. A good example is BuzzKill, which you can use to prioritize the message notifications you want to receive and customize the way they appear.
To use BuzzKill to silently dismiss text message notifications from specific contacts, you’ll need to create a custom rule within the app. This entails specifying the contact(s) whose message alert you want to hide, or the message content that you do not want to see, and setting the action to ‘Dismiss’. Here is how to go about it.
- Download and launch the BuzzKill app on your Android phone.

- Navigate to the Rules section and tap the + button to create a new rule.

- Klikkaa any app and select the messaging app from which you do not want to receive notifications. That is the app that will always trigger the rule.
- Klikkaa contains anything to define the criteria for notification dismissal. If you want the app to dismiss all notifications, then leave the criteria as it is. But if you want to dismiss notifications from specific contacts, then tap it and enter the contact name (just the same way it appears on your messaging app).
- Klikkaa do nothing to set the action. Scroll down and choose Dismiss to completely dismiss the notification.

- Napauta Pick actionja napauta sitten Save rule to confirm the action and save the rule. Afterward, any text message that matches your defined criteria will be automatically dismissed.
Method 6: Sending a Text That’s Never on Your Phone at All
All the methods above are focused on how to hide text messages on Android devices. But for the highest level of privacy, the safest method is to send a message that is never tied to your phone number or stored on your device.
This is where a web-based service like Anonyymit comes in. It is the perfect solution because instead of using a messaging app, you simply use your phone’s Chrome browser to send a text from an anonymous number.

Some key Android-friendly benefits of using Anonsms are
- You don’t need to install any app or hide any icon. All you need is the recipient’s phone number.
- No trace of the message(s) is left in your phone’s messaging data.
- You can use it to send secret text messages to anybody across the globe.
- With Anonsms, you can send text messages in different languages like English, Espanol, Portuguese, Italian, Deutsch, etc.
Your Final Checklist: The Right Method for Your Android Phone
From the 6 methods of how to hide text messages on Android, you should be able to pick one that satisfies your needs. If you are looking for quick, easy privacy, use Android’s built-in notification settings and App Lock. If you need maximum on-device security, master the Secure Folder. If you want ultimate camouflage, choose a Calculator Decoy App. But if you really need absolute untraceable communication, then make use of web services like Anonsms.
Android gives you the power to choose. Pick the strategy that best fits your needs and take full control of your privacy today.