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Hide sensitive apps with private space

To keep your sensitive apps away from prying eyes, you can set up private space, a separate space on your Android device to hide and organise apps. With private space, you can:

  • Create a digital safe within your phone for the apps that you don't want others to easily access or find. These apps can isolate their data from the rest of your phone.
  • Switch seamlessly between main profile apps and private space.
  • Set up a separate lock for an extra layer of authentication.
  • Hide the existence of the private space.
    • In some cases, you can't hide the existence of private space from:
      • Others who install apps on your phone
      • Others who can connect your device to a computer, including Android Debug Bridge (adb) access
      • Other apps which can detect the usage of private space and the apps within it
      • Device logs

What you need

You can use private space when:

You can't use private space when:

  • It is disabled by the device manufacturer or Enterprise admin.
  • It is within a secondary user.
  • Your device has more than four users or profiles.

You can only use private space as the main user of the device and can't use it as a guest user or secondary user.

You can create a dedicated Google Account to use in your private space. This helps prevent private data like notifications and files from private space from showing outside private space. Learn why you should use a different Google Account for private space.

Set up private space

  1. On your Android device, open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security and privacy.
  3. Under 'Privacy', tap Private space.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your device screen lock.
    • If you don't have one, you'll be asked to set up a device screen lock.
  5. Tap Set up and then Got it.
  6. Set up a new lock for private space.
    • To use your device's current screen lock, tap Use device screen lock.
    • To set a different lock type, tap Choose new lock.
      1. Authenticate with your device's current screen lock.
      2. Select a lock for your private space.
      3. If you select the 'Continue without fingerprint' option, you can choose to lock your private space with a pattern, PIN or password instead.
  7. Tap Done.

Delete or reset private space

Important: When you delete private space:

  • You need to authenticate with your private space lock.
  • The app and its data are deleted with no backup.
    • If the app is syncing any data to its cloud servers, the data can be restored once you sign in to the apps. However, when you restore the device from a device backup, private space won't be restored. Any on-device data for private space isn't backed up.
Delete from private space settings using private space lock
  1. On your Android device, open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security and privacy.
  3. Under 'Privacy', tap Private space.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.
  5. To delete private space, under 'System', tap Delete private space and then Delete.
  6. Re-authenticate with your private space lock.
Delete from system settings using device lock
  1. On your Android device, open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap System and then Reset options and then Delete private space. 
  3. Enter your device PIN.
  4. Tap Delete.
Tip: The 'Reset private space' action under system settings also shows when you don't have a private space. If someone else uses your device, they can't tell that you have a private space when they find 'Reset private space' in the Settings app. This option can be used to delete private space if you forget the private space lock and want to reset the space.

Lock and unlock your private space

You can lock and unlock your private space with your device screen lock or with the private space lock that you set up.

  • When private space is locked:
    • The apps in the private space are:
      • Completely stopped. These apps can't perform foreground or background activities, like showing notifications.
        • When the device is locked, apps can't access sensor data or perform any functions. For example, medical apps can't track health information when the device is locked. You should not use private space for apps that need to provide you with functionality in the background when your private space is locked. Apps installed outside of private space won't be affected by these restrictions, even if you also have a private space on your device simultaneously.
      • Not searchable in the quick search bar.
      • Hidden from the Launcher, recent views, sharing apps like photo picker and Docs UI, and Settings, which include permission settings and privacy dashboard.
  • When private space is unlocked:
    • You can find the notifications from private space apps on your device.
      • When the notification is from private space, you can find the private space icon .
    • You can install an app in private space. Learn how to install an app in private space.
    • You can find your private space apps and content in:
      • Quick search
      • Recents views
      • Sharing apps like photo picker and Docs UI
      • Settings, which include permission settings and privacy dashboard
    • In the search bar, search for any apps in private space.
Lock your private space

To hide apps from your main space, lock your private space. When the space is locked, the private space collapses and the apps are hidden in All apps and various operating system (OS) surfaces.

Through private space

  1. On your Android device, open the home screen or All apps.
  2. Scroll down to 'Private space'.
  3. On the right of Private space, tap Lock .

Lock automatically through the Settings

  1. On your Android device, open the home screen or All apps.
  2. Scroll down to 'Private space'.
  3. Tap Private space.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.
  5. On the right of Private space, tap Settings Settings.
  6. Tap Lock private space automatically.
  7. Tap either of the options:
    • Every time the device locks: Private space gets locked every time that the device is locked.
    • Five minutes after screen timeout: Private space locks five minutes after your screen timeout on inactivity. To check and configure the screen timeout:
      1. On your Android device, open your device's Settings app.
      2. Tap Display and then Screen timeout.
    • Only after the device restarts: Private space locks automatically when you restart your device. This is available by default also with the other options.
Unlock your private space

Through the home screen or All apps

  1. On your Android device, open the home screen or All apps.
  2. Scroll down to 'Private space'.
  3. Tap Private space: Tap to set up or open.
    • Even if you haven't set up a private space, the search result may show 'Private space: Tap to set up or open'. This means that other users won't know if you already have private space on your device.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.

Tip: You can scroll down to the private space container in All apps.

  1. Tap Private space.
  2. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.

Through the settings

  1. On your Android device, open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security and privacy.
  3. Under 'Privacy', tap Private space.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.

Hide and unhide your private space

You can hide the private space container in All apps for greater protection. When you apply the relevant setting, the container hides every time that the space is locked and becomes visible when it's unlocked.

Hide your private space in All apps
  1. On your Android device, open the home screen or All apps.
  2. Scroll down to 'Private space'.
  3. Tap Private space.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.
  5. On the right of Private space, tap Settings Settings.
  6. Under 'Hide', tap Hide private space when it's locked.
  7. Turn on Hide private space when it's locked.
    • This doesn't hide private space straight away, but hides it the next time that you lock private space.
Unhide your private space in All apps
  1. On your Android device, open the home screen or All apps.
  2. Scroll down to 'Private space'.
  3. Tap Private space: Tap to set up or open.
  4. To unlock, authenticate with your private space lock.
    • If no private space lock was set up, device screen lock is used by default.

Tips:

Install an app in private space

You can install apps in private space, when it's unlocked.

  • In 'All apps':
    1. Touch and hold an app.
    2. Tap Install app in private space.
      • To complete the installation, follow instructions on the installer app.
      • The new instance of the app is installed. The previous instance isn't copied or modified.
  • In the private space:
    1. Open private space.
    2. Tap Install app.
      • In the private space, you can install apps through the Play Store or with different app installers.

Tip: To make sure that there's proper separation, private space doesn't allow you to move an app's data from the main space app into private space.

Share content from private space

To share content from private space, unlock your private space.

Tip: When private space is unlocked, you'll find a 'Private' tab on sharing apps, such as Sharesheet, Docs UI and photo picker. When private space is locked, you won't find the tab.

Send and receive content over Bluetooth from private space apps

  • You can send content over Bluetooth from private space apps: Shared content and metadata doesn't reveal the existence of private space.
  • You can't receive content over Bluetooth from private space apps: The private space doesn't appear as a share target on devices when they want to share over Bluetooth. The private space doesn't show any notification about another device when they try to share to private space.

Why use a different Google Account for private space

Since private space is a completely separate space and profile on your device, it doesn't automatically read the accounts in your main space. You need to sign in to any accounts that you want to use in private space, even if they're already signed in on the device. 

If you sign in to your private space with a Google Account that you use on your main space or any other device, some data will be available outside your private space. This includes data such as:

  • Synced photos, files, emails, contacts, calendar events and other data.
  • App download history and recommendations.
  • Browsing history, bookmarks and saved passwords.
  • Suggested content related to your activity in private space apps.

To help prevent these kinds of unexpected leaks to your main space, it's recommended that you use a dedicated Google Account for your private space that hasn't been signed in elsewhere.

Supported and unsupported private space actions

Important:

  • When you create a private space, it can be uncovered through computer access, which includes Android Debug Bridge (adb) commands, device logs or by apps.
  • Some launcher apps may not support private space.
  • Private space apps bypass virtual private network (VPN) on the device.

In private space, you can:

  • Find an app's information
  • Pause an app
  • Uninstall an app

In private space, you can't:

  • Add widgets and shortcuts to your device home screen.
  • Drag and drop files and shortcuts to Workspace.
  • Backup and restore app data as part of device backup.
  • Receive content in private space directly from Quick Share.
  • Set up a work profile from the private space.
  • Pair and manage smart home devices.
  • Use Find My Device.
  • Use voice commands.
  • Use unlock factory recovery. If you forget your private space unlock factor, you won't be able to access the space.

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