Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Enable and Use Private Mode in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

If you have ever used Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, I believe that you have ever seen the "hide items" option in Gallery app that you can use to hide photos. Though hiding photo by using the "hide items" option is more effective than adding "." in front of the file name in My Files app, apparently this feature also has some flaws because it only works for those pictures you have saved in the internal storage and other users can find all hidden files with ease in a folder in the internal storage when the "Show hidden files" option is enabled.

See also: How to Hide or Show Hidden Pictures in Gallery App in the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

In the latest S series, Samsung Galaxy S5 with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, the "hide items" option is no longer available. Thus, to meet the users' need to hide their photos or other contents, Samsung has added a new feature called private mode. By turning on this feature, you can hide contents in the Music player app, Video player app, Gallery app, Voice recorder app and My Files app. This feature works by moving the contents to the private folder and all of them won't be displayed in their related apps once the private mode feature is turned off.

How to hide contents in private mode?
In case you want to move items to the private folder so that the items will be hidden and not be displayed in the related apps when the private mode is disabled, then you can do so by using the following steps:

1. First, you have to enable private mode.
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings.
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the right to enable private mode.
Through the quick settings panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers.
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn green when it's enabled.
2. Draw your private mode unlock pattern.
3. Now, private mode is activated and you'll see the private mode icon is displayed on the status bar.
4. While the private mode is activated, you can hide music, recorded files, picture, video and other files.
5. Hide music from the Music Player app:
• Open Music Player app.
• Under the Tracks tab, tap and then select Select.
• Select the required song you wish to move to private by checking the box in the left side of the songs names.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected songs will be labelled as private files .
6. Hide recorded files from the Voice recorder app:
• Open Voice Recorder app.
• Tap to see all recorded files.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required recorded files you want to move to private by checking the box in the left side of the recorded files names.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected recorded files will be labelled as private files .
7. Hide albums or photos from the Gallery app:
Hide albums:
• Open Gallery app.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required albums by checking the box in the desired albums you want to move to private.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected albums will be labelled as private files .
Hide photos:
• Open Gallery app.
• Tap an album.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required pictures by checking the box in the desired pictures you want to move to private.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected pictures will be moved to private albums in Gallery app and they will be labelled as private files .
8. Hide videos from the Video player app:
• Open Video player app.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required videos by checking the box in the desired videos you want to move to private.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected video will be labelled as private files .
9. Hide all files types from the My Files app:
• Open My Files app.
• Navigate to the required folder where you save the files you want to move to private.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required files you want to move to private by checking the box in the left side of the files names.
• Tap and then select Move to Private.
• The selected files will be labelled as private files .
10. Once done, you can disable or turn off private mode.
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings.
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the left.
• Tap OK button to confirm.
Through the notifications panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn grey if it's turned off.
• Tap OK button to confirm.
11. When the private mode is disabled, all items that have been moved to private won't be displayed.

How to view hidden content in private mode?
You still can view all items you have moved to the private folder by using the following steps:

1. First, you have to enable private mode.
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings.
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the right to enable private mode.
Through the quick settings panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers.
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn green when it's enabled.
2. Draw your private mode unlock pattern.
3. Now, private mode is activated and you'll see the private mode icon is displayed on the status bar.
4. Now, open My Files app.
5. Under the Local storage section, tap Private . All your private items will be listed here and labelled as private files.
6. Tap the required files to open it in the appropriate apps.
7. Once done, you can disable or turn off private mode
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the left.
• Tap OK button to confirm.
Through the notifications panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn grey if it's turned off.
• Tap OK button to confirm.

How to unhide hidden content in private mode?
In case you want to remove items from private folder so that the items will be displayed again in the related apps when the private mode is disabled, then you can do so by using the following steps:

1. First, you have to enable private mode.
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings.
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the right to enable private mode.
Through the quick settings panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers.
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn green when it's enabled.
2. Draw your private mode unlock pattern.
3. Now, private mode is activated and you'll see the private mode icon is displayed on the status bar.
4. While the private mode is activated, you can remove music, recorded files, picture, video and other files you that have been moved to private before.
5. Unhide hidden music from the Music Player app:
• Open Music Player app.
• Under Tracks tab, tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private song you wish to remove from private by checking the box in the left side of the songs names.
• Tap and then select Remove from Private.
• The private label in the selected song will be removed.
6. Unhide hidden recorded files from the Voice recorder app:
• Open Voice Recorder app.
• Tap to see all recorded files.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private recorded files you want to remove from private by checking the box in the left side of the recorded files names.
• Tap and then select Remove from Private.
• The private label in the selected recorded files will be removed.
7. Unhide hidden albums or photos from the Gallery app:
Unhide hidden albums:
• Open Gallery app.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private albums by checking the box in the desired albums you want to remove from private.
• Tap and then select Remove from Private.
• The private label in the selected albums will be removed.
Unhide hidden photos:
• Open Gallery app.
• Tap Private album.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private pictures by checking the box in the desired pictures you want to remove from private.
• Tap and then select Remove from Private.
• Tap the required album you want to place the picture or tap Create album to place the picture to the new album.
• The selected pictures will be moved from the private album to the selected album and the private label on them will be removed.
8. Unhide hidden videos from the Video player app:
• Open Video player app.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private videos by checking the box in the desired videos you want to remove from private.
• Tap and then select Remove from Private.
• The private label in the selected video will be removed.
9. Unhide hidden all files types from the My Files app:
• Open My Files app.
• Under the Local Storage section, tap Private .
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private files by checking the box in the left side of the files names.
• Tap and then select Move.
• Tap Device storage and then tap the required folder.
• Tap Move here.
• The selected files will be moved from the private folder to the selected folder and the private label on them will be removed.
Or,
• Open My Files app.
• Navigate to the folder where you save the files you have moved to private before.
• Tap and then select Select.
• Select the required private files by checking the box in the left side of the files names.
• Tap and then select Remove from private.
• The private label in the selected files will be removed.
10. Once done, you can disable or turn off private mode
Through the Settings menu:
• Go to Settings.
• Under the Personalisation section, tap Private mode .
• Slide the ON/OFF switch to the left.
• Tap OK button to confirm.
Through the notifications panel:
• Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers
• Tap Private mode button. The button will turn grey if it's turned off.
• Tap OK button to confirm.
11. When the private mode is disabled, all items that have been removed from private will be displayed again in their original places.

Given all that facts, private mode will allow you to hide various contents with ease directly from the related apps and this feature is safer because it's not only protected with the unlock pattern when activate private mode, but the users also can't find those private files in the My Files app though the "Show hidden files" option is enabled. Even so, this feature apparently also has a flaw because when you hook up your phone into the PC, the private folder will be displayed in the PC without any protection. Regardless from all the flaws, at least now you can let others using or browsing your phone without worrying they will see your private contents in condition they don't connect your phone with the PC.