Samsung Galaxy S3: How to Hide or Unhide Apps or Games

By using advanced camera owned by Galaxy SIII you can capture HDR photos or take HD video then saved it on your phone. But, for some reason you may not want others to access or view your personal photos or videos collection by hiding the folders on your Gallery app.

See also: How to Hide or Unhide Folders on Gallery App with Samsung Galaxy S3

Well, besides hide folders in Gallery app, with Samsung Galaxy SIII you can also hide apps or games from the app drawer so no one knows that the hidden app is running on your phone.

Image Credit: joesteiger.com


How to hide apps or games from the app drawer?
As written on androidtipsz.com, here are the steps you need to do to hide apps or games from the app drawer:
  1. Open the App drawer.
  2. Tap on the Menu.
  3. Select Hide applications option.
  4. Here you can choose the apps or games that you want to hide by tapping on the little black box in the upper right of each app.
  5. Click the Done button to save your changes.

How to unhide apps or games from the app drawer?
From the same source, for any reason if you want to unhide the hidden app on the app drawer, here are the steps you need to do:
  1. Open the App drawer.
  2. Tap on the Menu.
  3. Select Show hide applications option.
  4. Check the hidden apps or games you want to show again on the app drawer.
  5. Click the Done button to save your changes.

It's easy, right? Once you know how to hide or unhide the apps or games from the app drawer, now you can set the visibility of apps or games according to your needs and requirements. So, try this useful tips then share your experience here through the comment below :)
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26 comments:

  1. Unknown20 July 2013 at 04:41

    wwwoooowww great tips.

    send mobile to india from usa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan20 July 2013 at 17:29

      Hi Rose Marry,
      Thanks for coming and leave us a useful link.
      Enjoy reading and have a nice day :)

      Delete
  2. Kathie4 August 2013 at 18:59

    I used to have that button... Not anymore. Please help me see my hidden apps again. =( my "show hidden applications" button is missing ≠0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan5 August 2013 at 00:52

      Hi Kathie,
      Thanks for coming.
      Try to scroll down the menu, you should see the option to show hidden applications turn up there.
      Hope this helps :)

      Delete
  3. Unknown16 September 2013 at 11:37

    Thank you so much, i got s3 other day and was looking to see what hide app did. then couldn't find un-hide lol. least now i know what it does. is there a way that i can use the app while it is hidden?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan28 September 2013 at 01:32

      Hi Louise Patton,
      Thanks for coming.
      Glad to know if it useful for you.
      Yes, you still be able to use the hidden apps. For instance if you hide messaging apps then you still be able to use it through another apps, such as when you want to share something through message then you will be redirected to the hidden messaging apps.

      Delete
  4. Unknown30 December 2013 at 11:35

    Ever since the 4.3 update to my S3 I don't have the "hide applications" feature anymore. Any ideas how to get it back?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan30 December 2013 at 13:36

      Hi Susan West,
      Thanks for coming.
      Have you ever tried to scroll down to find this option. Usually this option is reside in the very bottom. However, if you can't find the option, can you please tell me what's your carrier? In several forums, the users of AT&T confirmed that they can't find this option though they have scrolled the menu to the very bottom, while another confirmed that they still have the option after they did update 4.3 on their phone.

      Delete
    2. Unknown1 January 2014 at 12:21

      I am having he same issue, I have AT&T and since the 4.3 update I have lost the ability to hide apps as well, any idea how to fix it?

      Delete
    3. Rehan1 January 2014 at 14:51

      Hi Nate C,
      Thanks for coming.
      Unfortunately, AT&T has decide to get rid this option in Android 4.3 so we can do nothing. Let's hope that AT&T will bring back this option in the next update. Or, you can also use another launcher, for instance paid version of Nova launcher which have the ability to hide the apps.
      Hope this helps :)

      Delete
  5. Unknown18 January 2014 at 16:05

    Thank you soo much

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan18 January 2014 at 17:27

      Hi Juan Meza,
      Thanks for coming.
      Glad to know that this post was useful for you :)

      Delete
  6. blue13 February 2014 at 16:37

    have galaxy s3 4.3 on Sprint- my hide/unhide option is gone also "my files" folder is now missing. Any ideas?? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan15 February 2014 at 02:56

      Hi Blue,
      Thanks for coming.
      Here are the answers for your questions:
      1. Can't find Hide app option:
      Make sure to view your app menu in the Customisable grid or Alphabetical grid in order to be able to use Hide app option. FYI, I don't know with Sprint, but most AT&T users have confirmed that they can't find Hide/Show hidden apps option after did update their phone to the Android 4.3. Other way, you can use third-party launcher (eg. Nova launcher) that has a feature to hide apps.
      2. My Files app is missing
      Try to go to the Settings> tap "More" tab> tap "Application manager"> swipe the screen from right to the left until you see "Turned off/Disabled" tab> if you see My Files app is listed here, tap it> tap "Turn on/Enable" button to enable the app and bring it back to your app menu.
      Hope this helps :)

      Delete
  7. FARRUKH RASHID7 July 2014 at 16:50

    What if I hide viber/whatsapp then will I able to get notifications?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan7 July 2014 at 22:50

      Hi FARRUKH RASHID,
      Thanks for coming.
      Yes, you will get notifications because it only hide app from the apps menu.

      Delete
  8. Unknown13 July 2014 at 10:24

    Hy
    My gallery folder is hide from the menu
    I found it in the whole mobile but I can't found
    Where is it gone?
    And still it is hide from the menu..
    What will i do with this?
    Plz help me anybody

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan13 July 2014 at 20:50

      Hi Habib Khan,
      Thanks for coming.
      Can I conclude that you can't find Gallery app in the apps menu?
      If that so, there are two possibilities that can cause this problem:
      1. Gallery app is hidden
      If you have hidden the Gallery app, then you can show the Gallery app in the apps menu again by using the following steps:
      - In Home screen, tap Apps icon.
      - In the apps menu, tap the Menu key and then select "Show hidden apps".
      - Select Gallery app and then tap Done button.
      - Gallery app will be shown again in the apps menu.
      2. Gallery app is disabled
      If you have disabled Gallery app, then you can re-enable Gallery app by using the following steps:
      - Go to Settings.
      - Tap "More" tab.
      - Tap "Application manager".
      - Swipe to the screen to the right until you see "All" tab.
      - Scroll to the very bottom to see all disabled apps. If Gallery app is disabled, you should see this app here.
      - Tap Gallery app.
      - In the app info screen, tap "Enable" button.
      - Gallery app will be shown again in the apps menu.

      Delete
  9. mysoulsecured25 December 2014 at 18:09

    hi. i used to have that hide option but after i reset factory settings , that option went missing. i have scrolled down but its nowgere there. can u help me fix this. tnx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan28 December 2014 at 01:55

      Hi Mysoulsecured,
      Thanks for coming.
      Can you please tell me your model number and the Android version?

      Delete
  10. HelpPlease25 January 2015 at 05:06

    I no longer have the option to hide apps in the menu. Is there a way to hide them in a folder or uninstall the update? I dont want to have to download anything extra tho...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rehan26 January 2015 at 16:55

      Hi HelpPlease,
      Thanks for coming.
      Since you didn't mention your model number and the Android version, then I assume your phone is Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat. Here my answers for your questions:
      1. Can't find the option to hide apps
      FYI, I lost the option to hide apps when my S4 had been updated to Android 4.4.2 Kitkat. So, I surmise the update may be the culprit of your problem. You can alternatively hide your apps by installing a third-party launcher that has the feature to hide apps, e.g: Smart Launcher, Nova Launcher Prime, etc.

      2. Uninstall the updates of an app
      You can uninstall the update of an app by using the following steps:
      - In home screen, tap "Apps" to go to the apps menu.
      - Tap and hold the required app you want to uninstall its update and then drag it to the App info icon at the top of the screen. It'll quickly bring you to the app info screen.
      - Tap "Uninstall updates" button.
      - Tap "OK" button to continue uninstalling updates.

      3. Don't want to download or update an app
      You can set your phone to not auto update the app so that the app will be updated only if you update the app manually. Use the following steps to do so:
      - Open Play Store app.
      - Tap the Play Store menu at the top left corner of the screen and then tap "My apps".
      - Tap the required app.
      - Tap the Menu key and then clear the check box next to "Auto-update" to turn off auto update feature for the selected app.

      Delete
    2. Unknown29 June 2015 at 18:08

      where is the hide option in Samsung galacy S3 -_- i dOn't have it :3 why sO ?

      Delete
    3. Rehan29 June 2015 at 19:17

      Hi Mahoor Sheikh,
      Thanks for coming.
      This option can be found when you tap the Menu key while you're in Apps. However, in some model numbers, this option is not available. I myself ever lose this option in my S4 when it's updated to Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, but I get it again when my phone is updated to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop.

      Delete
  11. Unknown18 May 2016 at 08:27

    I am not getting the hide option by pressing menu and options it only shows the edit uninstall create options how I can I get hide option in my mobile

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unknown23 June 2018 at 15:42

    My phone is samsung galaxy s3 neo and I don't have " hide application " button what should I do?

    ReplyDelete

Hi the insiders,
Thanks for coming and I hope you can get something useful here.
Before submitting your comment to ask about an issue, please make sure to provide information as much as possible (at least write your model number and Android version) and describe the problem clearly.
Also, since all comments will be moderated, all comments with irrelevant links(if any) or contain with offensive/harsh word will be deleted.
The last, if you have a question and can't find the relevant article, please feel free to reach me through the Contact us page. I'll be more than happy to reply the email and answer the question :)

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