How to find hidden apps on Android - here're 3 easy options (2024)

How to find hidden spy apps on Android?

As Android phones have become very popular among the young generation, in order to monitor the phone activities of your kids who may be secretly using hidden apps on Android, you may be anxious to know how to find hidden apps on Android. If that is the case, then you have probably come to the right article.

It’s a common practice nowadays for teenagers to use additional software or hidden apps on their phones to exchange inappropriate stuff via the internet in order to conceal their device activities from their parents. These hidden apps in Android are capable of causing dangerous and abusive impacts, like sexual aggression and bullying on your kids. In order to protect your kids from such dangers you need to know how to find secret apps on Android used by your children.

Moreover, there are some spy apps available outside the Google Play Store which you may sometimes unknowingly download on your phone. These apps remain hidden and send user data to unauthorized organizations. Unless you use any antivirus app on your device to identify those hidden spy apps for Android, you yourself have to remove those secret apps to protect your privacy. Though it’s easy to hide apps on Android, finding those hidden apps on this device may be difficult. Therefore, to remove those hidden apps on Android you need to know how to find hidden spy apps on Android.

Before I go to show how to find secret apps on Android let me first mention the names of a few most popular secret hidden apps for Android in use.

Vault

Vault is one of the best-hidden apps for Android phones used to hide photos and videos. It can also hide private messages, call logs, recordings, and contacts;

CoverMe

CoverMe is an app by which a user can secretly text and call anyone. It can also secure texts, calls, contacts, photos, videos, and other files in a vault;

Spyware

Parents or spouses may install these hidden spy apps for Android on their child’s or partner’s cell phone to track their activities. This spyware app is undetectable and hidden from the smartphone owner. The installer of the app could monitor the texts, emails, and web browsing history, and even listen to phone calls of the phone owner. But it would be possible for the phone owner to detect if someone has installed spyware on his/her smartphone if he or she knows how to see hidden apps on Android.

How to find hidden apps on Android?

If you want to find on Android any secret apps or hidden spy apps, here are three easy options on how to find hidden Android apps.

Option 1. How to see hidden apps on Android using the App drawer

1. Tap the ‘App Drawer’ icon on the bottom-center or bottom-right of the home screen. Usually, this will look like two rows of three dots or squares on the home screen;

2. Next tap the menu icon. This looks different depending on the version of Android you are using. But usually, this looks like three dots, three bars, or a settings ‘gear’ at the top of the apps list.

If your Android has a ‘menu’ button at the bottom-right side of the screen (next to the Home button), then click it;

3. Tap ‘Show hidden apps (applications)’. This will show hidden apps Android list that have been hidden from the home screen and app drawer;

4. If the above option does not show hidden apps Android then there may not be any hidden apps on the phone;

5. Just to make sure that there are no hidden apps on your phone, tap ‘All’ to view a list of all apps;

Option 2. How to see hidden apps using the settings App

1. Open your Android’s Settings (usually looks like a gear). It is typically found on the home screen or in the app drawer;

2. Scroll down and tap‘Apps’. This may be called‘Applications’on some devices. In many cases, you should now be able to see a list of all apps on the device;

3. Now tap ‘All’. Some devices may allow you to tap ‘Hidden’ to view hidden apps on their own. (If you’re using Android 5.0 or earlier, swipe right to left twice to view the option.)

Whichever applies here, this will display all the apps on your Android device including the hidden apps on this device from the home screen and app drawer;

Option 3. How to find hidden spy apps on Android using an Android File Manager

Here are the simple steps on how to find hidden stuff on Android using the Android File Manager – ‘ES File Explore’:

1. Download and install the latest version of “ES File Explorer” file manager from the Google Play Store;

2. Next open ES File Explorer;

3. Slide theMenudrawer right and selectTools;

4. Next scroll down and enable the option “Show hidden files”;

5. Now you can see all the hidden apps on Android phones;

6.If, you want to hide the apps again, then simplyDisablethe “Show Hidden Files”option;

Frequently asked questions

Now that I have explained how to find hidden stuff on Android let me also address some of the related queries often made by people.

How can I hide apps on Android Phones?

Follow the steps below to hide apps on Android:

1. Tap on any empty space on the home screen;

2. Tap the button for home screen settings, in the bottom right corner;

3. Tap ‘Hide apps’ on the menu;

4. Select the app you want to hide in the menu that pops up;

5. Tap ‘Apply’;

How to find hidden tracking apps on Android?

Here’s how to find hidden tracking apps on Android,

1. Go to ‘Settings’;

2. Then navigate to General > Privacy > Location Services;

3. Next look for the apps that are turned to ‘Always’;

4. Delete the app which is not installed by you or turn off the location service;

How to know if there are hidden apps on my phone?

To know if there are any hidden spy apps on your Android phone go to settings > tap apps (applications) > tap ‘all’ (in some devices you may tap ‘Hidden’) to view hidden apps on the phone if any;

What is the best hidden app, Finder?

Here’re the top 3 hidden app finders for Android devices:

1. mSpy.
2. XNSPY.
3. EyeZy

How to find hidden apps on iPhone?

There are several ways to retrieve hidden apps and get them back on the Home screen of your iPhone. The Apps, which are hidden from your home screen, still remain in the App Library.

Here is how to find hidden apps on iPhone and put them back on the Home screen from your App Library:

1. On your Home screen swipe all the way from right to left to open the App Library on your iPhone;

2. In the search bar at the top of the screen type the name of the app you’re searching for;

3. Once you find the app, tap and hold the app icon and drag it to the left to bring the app out of the App Library and move it to the Home screen;

How to find hidden apps on Samsung?

Here’s how to find hidden apps on Samsung ( Android 7.1)

1. Tap the Apps icon from the home screen;

2. Tap Settings>Applications>Application manager (For Android 6.0);

3. Now Scroll through the list of apps that display or tap ‘MORE’ and select ‘Show system apps’;

4. If the application is hidden, the ‘Disabled’ apps will be listed with the app name;

5. Tap the desired app;

6. Then tap ‘Enable’ to open the app;

How to find hidden files on Android?

For finding hidden files on Android,

Open ‘File Manger’ > then tap ‘Menu’> tap Settings > go to Advance section > toggle “Show hidden files” to ‘ON’

How to open hidden apps on Android?

Here is how to open hidden apps on Android:

1. Go to settings and scroll down to find the Apps;

2. Tap on the “Apps” to open a complete list of all the disabled apps (Android apps are hidden by disabling them) available on the device;

3. Tap the desired app to view the settings for it;

4. Next to open hidden apps re-enable the app;

5. After enabling it, the app will show up on your phone again to open and use it.

You may also like to read: How to Fix a Hacked Android Phone

Conclusion

After going through the steps mentioned above on how to find hidden apps on Android phones it should be clear that finding hidden apps on phones by which your kids are trying to conceal their phone activities, is not a difficult process.

Moreover, we all occasionally visit sketchy websites, and sometimes we also download stuff from such websites by accident. Therefore, checking for hidden apps is also a great way to ensure that your mobile phone does not have any unwanted tracking apps. This factor alone gives you enough reason to know how to find hidden spy apps on Android phones. Once you detect these secret apps, you should remove them immediately to protect your data and secure your phone.