To find hidden applications on Android, check the app drawer and Settings > Apps, then inspect your launcher’s hiding controls and unlock any private space you use. An app missing from the Home screen may still be installed, while apps inside a locked private profile need a separate check. Start with the app list, then follow the steps for your phone or launcher.
The short version
- Start with the app list: Check the app drawer, its folders, and the installed apps in Settings.
- Check your launcher: Samsung and several other launchers have their own hidden-app controls.
- Unlock private spaces: Apps in a locked Android Private space stay out of ordinary app searches and Settings lists.
- Check app status: A missing app may be disabled, archived, or no longer installed.
| Place or method | What to check | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| App drawer | All Apps and folders | Applies to launchers with an app drawer |
| Settings app list | Apps > See all apps | Locked private profiles are excluded |
| Samsung system apps | Show system apps | System components may have no launchable icon |
| Samsung hiding controls | Hidden apps | Search bar placement varies by model and software |
| Samsung app search | The app’s name in Search | The name may appear without its icon |
| Disabled Samsung apps | Enable on the app’s page | Applies to apps that support re-enabling |
| Samsung Gaming Hub | Show game apps | Applies to Gaming Hub with One UI Home |
| Android Private space | Apps inside the unlocked space | Requires a supported device and authentication |
| Samsung Secure Folder | The folder through Settings or Quick Settings | Requires a supported Galaxy phone and authentication |
| Motorola Secure folder | Stealth mode and Disguised icons | Settings labels vary by model |
| Xiaomi hidden apps | Spread two fingers on the Home screen | Requires support for Hidden apps |
| Xiaomi Second space | An existing space’s Switch shortcut | Creating a space does not recover an app |
| Nothing Private Space | Swipe right in the app drawer | Applies to the Private Space launcher interface |
| realme hidden apps | Hide Apps or your configured dial-pad code | Requires supported software and credentials |
| vivo hidden apps | View hidden apps | Layout and availability vary |
| HONOR PrivateSpace | Settings or its assigned lock-screen credential | The Settings entrance can be hidden |
| HONOR Parallel Space | Spread two fingers on the Home screen | Requires a model supporting Parallel Space |
| Nova Launcher | App drawer > Hide apps | Requires Nova Launcher Prime; hiding is not a protected profile |
| Smart Launcher | Hidden Apps in the drawer menu | May require a PIN or fingerprint |
| Google Play app inventory | Manage > This device | Not a complete inventory across profiles or outside Google Play |
| Google Play restoration | Not installed, then Install or Enable | Account history does not prove current installation |
| Archived apps | A faded app icon | The original store and app must remain available |
| Other Android users | An existing user’s app drawer | Requires support for multiple users |
| Digital Wellbeing | The usage chart | Activity is not a complete installed-app inventory |
Check the app drawer and Settings first
On Android launchers with an app drawer, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to the top and tap All Apps when shown. Browse the list and open its folders, then tap the app you want. Google’s steps cover Android 14 and later, with variations between manufacturers.
Next, on Pixel and Android phones using these labels, open Settings > Apps > See all apps. Select an app to inspect its information and Permissions, including apps without a visible launcher icon. Other manufacturers may use a different app-list label, and locked private profiles are excluded from this check.
On Samsung’s One UI 7 layout, expand the list through Settings > Apps > Filter and sort > Show system apps. Inspect the expanded list, remembering that system components do not necessarily have launchable icons.
Find hidden apps on Samsung Galaxy
On a Galaxy phone using One UI Home’s hiding feature, touch and hold an empty area of the Home screen. Tap Settings > Hide apps on Home and Apps screens and inspect Hidden apps. To restore an app’s visibility, tap its red minus icon, then tap Done.
Samsung’s Canadian software layout also provides an entrance from the Apps screen. Tap More options on the Search bar, then select Settings > Hide apps on Home and Apps screens. Under Hidden apps, tap the red minus icons for the apps you want to restore, then tap Done. The Search bar can sit at the top or bottom of the Apps screen, depending on the model, software version and settings.
For a particular app, enter its name in the Search bar on the Apps screen. A hidden app’s name can appear without its icon; select the name, then tap Open on its app page. If the app is disabled instead, open Settings > Apps, select it, and tap Enable if offered.
If you use Gaming Hub with One UI Home, open Gaming Hub to find missing games. To restore their icons elsewhere, select More options > Settings > Show game apps, then select In Gaming Hub and the Home and Apps screens. In Gaming Hub version 7.0 and later, More options is at the top right; older versions place it at the bottom right.
Open Android Private space
On supported Android 15 and later devices, the primary user can open Settings > Security & privacy. Under Privacy, tap Private space and authenticate, then open the unlocked space in All Apps to inspect its apps. Availability depends on the manufacturer and device management restrictions.
You can also open All Apps, scroll to Private space, and tap Private space: Tap to set up or open. Authenticate with the private-space lock, or your device lock if you did not configure a separate one. The setup or open entry alone does not establish that a private space already exists.
Unlock the space before using launcher search or checking the Settings app list. Google keeps locked Private space apps out of those places, as well as recent apps and sharing interfaces. Once the space is unlocked, you can inspect those places for its apps.
Look inside Samsung and Motorola secure folders
On supported Samsung Galaxy phones, open Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder and authenticate. Turn on Add Secure Folder to Apps screen, then open and unlock the folder from the Apps screen. This Settings route also locates a folder whose launcher name or icon has been customized.
Galaxy phones with the Secure Folder Quick Settings tile offer another route. Swipe down with two fingers and tap Secure Folder to unhide its icon, then open the folder and authenticate. Inside the unlocked folder, select More options > Customize to inspect its customized name and icon.
On the Motorola edge 60 pro running Android 15, open Settings > Security and privacy > More security and privacy > Secure folder and unlock it. You can also open Moto Secure > Secure folder if Stealth mode has not hidden it there. In the folder menu, select Stealth mode and turn off its hiding options to restore visibility.
To restore a disguised icon on that Motorola layout, unlock the folder through Moto Secure or the Settings route above. Open the folder menu, select Disguised icons, and turn off Use disguised icons.
On Motorola models with the alternate layout, open Settings, select Security or Security & privacy, then open More security settings > Secure folder. In the folder menu, select Stealth mode and turn off Use stealth mode to restore its icon.
Check other phone makers’ hiding controls
On Xiaomi phones supporting Hidden apps, place two fingers on a blank Home screen area and spread them apart to display hidden apps. The hiding controls are in Security > Hide apps. On the REDMI 13C 5G, open Security, scroll down, and select Hidden apps; the same Home screen gesture displays the apps.
On supported Xiaomi HyperOS models, including the REDMI Note 13 Pro 5G, check Settings > Additional settings > Second space, or Security > Common features > Second space. If a second space already exists, use its Home screen Switch shortcut and authenticate as required to inspect its separate apps. Creating a new space will not recover an existing hidden app.
On Nothing phones with the Private Space launcher interface, swipe up on the Home screen to open the app drawer. Swipe right to access Private Space.
On supported full editions of realme UI 2.0 and later, open Settings and search for Hide Apps. Open Hide Apps and authenticate with your privacy password. Alternatively, enter your previously configured access code in the phone dial pad to display hidden apps.
On vivo phones using the Security & privacy layout, open Settings > Security & privacy > App hiding > View hidden apps and authenticate when required. If your model offers the gesture switch, return to App hiding and turn on Swipe up with two fingers on home screen to view hidden apps. Return to the Home screen and swipe up with two fingers.
On vivo devices using the PD2420F 15.0 layout, open Settings > Password & security > Privacy & app encryption > View hidden apps. Alternatively, open App hiding within Privacy & app encryption, enable View hidden apps, and swipe up with two fingers on the Home screen. Availability varies by model and region.
On HONOR phones supporting PrivateSpace, open Settings > Security & privacy > Device & data protection > PrivateSpace from MainSpace, then tap LOG IN. Alternatively, unlock the phone with the fingerprint or password assigned to PrivateSpace, including when its Settings entrance is hidden. After a restart, enter MainSpace with its password first.
On HONOR models supporting Parallel Space, spread two fingers apart on the Home screen to enter it. Complete its authentication and inspect its apps. Parallel Space is a separate feature from PrivateSpace.
Inspect a custom launcher’s hidden apps
Nova lists Hide apps as a Nova Launcher Prime feature. If you use Prime, open Nova Settings > App drawer > Hide apps to inspect the hidden selections. Nova also allows hidden apps to appear in launcher search and on the Home screen. Its launcher hiding does not create a protected Android profile.
In Smart Launcher, open the app drawer, tap its menu button, and select Hidden Apps. Authenticate with the configured PIN or fingerprint when protection is enabled.
Restore a missing or archived app
Google Play provides another app list for your current profile. Open Google Play, tap your profile icon, and select Manage apps & device > Manage, then inspect This device. This list does not provide a complete inventory across profiles or of apps installed outside Google Play.
If the app is missing, tap This device > Not installed using the Google Account originally associated with the app. Select it and tap Install or Enable, whichever is offered. The Not installed list is account history, so an entry there does not establish that an app is currently hidden on this phone.
A faded app icon can be an archived app on supported Android 15 and later devices using a supporting app store. Tap the icon to reinstall it, or restore it through its App info page in Settings or its app details page in Google Play. Restoration requires the original store to remain installed and the app to remain available.
Check another user profile and activity records
On phones supporting multiple users, inspect Settings > System > Multiple users, or search Settings for users. To switch to an existing user, swipe down twice from the top, tap the user icon, select the user, and authenticate. Inspect that profile’s app drawer, since each user has separate apps and data.
On phones supporting Digital Wellbeing, open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and tap the usage chart. Review Screen time, Times opened, and Notifications received, then tap a listed app for details. These records can help you identify an app through its activity, but they do not list every installed app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Gemini open an app if you already know its name?
Yes, Gemini on Android can open apps when its device assistance connected app is available. Open the Gemini mobile app and say Open [app name], replacing the placeholder with the app’s name.
Can recent apps help you identify a missing app?
Yes, recent app cards can provide a clue about recent activity. Swipe up from the bottom, hold, and release, then swipe horizontally through the cards. On Android Go with three-button navigation, tap Recent apps instead. An app can be absent because its card was cleared or its private space is locked.
Can you find an app through its permission activity?
On supported Android 12 and later devices, the Privacy dashboard shows apps with recorded permission use. Open Settings, choose Security and Privacy or Privacy, then choose Privacy dashboard; some devices require selecting Privacy again before the dashboard. Select a permission to inspect access records, which do not list every installed app.
Why is Digital Wellbeing missing from the app drawer?
Digital Wellbeing has its own launcher-icon toggle on implementations that expose it. Open Settings, select Digital Wellbeing, and turn on Show icon in the app list to restore that icon.