Barbara Fisher 
These days, technology can be a beautiful but scary thing. So many apps and types of software can be added to phones without the knowledge of the user easily and without a sign. It, however, can be easily spotted, but only if you’re sure what to look for and how to search for it for yourself. The truth can be useful not only for you and your device, but it can also reveal apps that others could have hiding on their phones.
We’ll tell you exactly how to find these apps, with a detailed explanation and a step-by-step look into just how easy these apps are to find.
Reasons to Hide Phone Apps
Those who are reading, especially more mature and knowledgeable, may have a hard time imagining why someone would even want to hide apps. The answers can prove to be complicated, as each answer depends heavily on each individual. For parents with kids, among the most popular apps to hide are those with messaging and photo exchange capabilities. The secrecy may be needed to hide conversations between friends or between young couples. It is normal for kids to want to hide some things from their parents, but that doesn’t always make it safe.
For this reason, it can be good to make sure that the hidden apps are uncovered. The younger the child, the more closely monitored the mobile phone activity should be to avoid the worry of predators and adults that could be on the pry for vulnerable children having no clue of what is going on.
Those without children but with spouses or significant others could also have reasons to keep their eyes open for hidden apps when infidelity is suspected. It could also be messaging apps or photo/video exchange apps that are between your partner and possibly another.
Though people cheat for a variety of reasons, those who are cheating or beginning a relationship with another person will usually go through great length to keep that information hidden from their current partner. It can thus be useful to know how to look for hidden apps, making sure whether there is a need to dig deeper or not.
The Most Used Hidden Apps for Android
The list of hidden apps is long, with some for almost every situation that you can think of. Of the long list of top frequently downloaded apps, the most popular are:
1. Secret Calculator
Just like most hidden apps, its name makes you think otherwise at first glance. This app comes in the form of a typical-looking calculator, one that doesn’t raise any suspicion from the get-go. However, this app is storage for photos that the user doesn’t want anyone else to see. As one can imagine, this app may be full or inappropriate photos, coming with much to say about the character of the person that would take and hide them from their spouse.
2. Best Secret Folder
Not only is this app hidden, but it basically goes completely unnoticed and blends in with the majority of other apps. In reality, it is a place to guard not only photos but almost anything for messages to videos and more. The thing about this app is that it is tricky and comes with a feature that will make it go into hiding if it is opened and the password is entered incorrectly.
3. CoverMe
This app gets its popularity for providing a hiding place for all sorts of things. Documents, messages, photos, and more can all be stored here without being seen by the untrained eye. Without knowing what to look for, this app is invisible, doing exactly what it is made for.
These are just the top 3 programs, while there are several more, all with different perks and reasons why they are preferred among people having something to hide. Fortunately, small things can be searched for to show whether there are hidden apps on a device.
How to Find Hidden Apps on Your Device?
You can begin your search for apps that your child or partner may be hiding from you in a number of ways. They may seem like common sense, but these are the methods that are often overlooked. Simply put, you’ll only need to have possession of the cell phone, which you suspect has hidden apps. Do this when your child or partner is asleep or leaves the phone and is away from it for some time. Log in and browse through all the apps that are on screen. If none raise suspicion at first glance and if your gut feelings tell you otherwise, then you won’t have to move on further.
If something makes you raise your eyebrows or maybe you can’t shake off the feeling that something is going on, then you’ll need to head to settings. Select an option labeled “Show all hidden apps” from the settings menu. From here, if any apps are hidden, they will show up here. Still, there are other ways for tracking the phones, including spy apps and keyloggers. Some of the top programs include:
- uMobix
- TeenSafe
- mSpy
- SpyEra
The best thing to do when searching for the perfect app for you is to read a few reviews and take a look into the features of each of them. This search will clarify which app will work the best for your needs and will clear up any doubts that may come from taking the help of applications and software to reveal the truth.
Signs That Your Child Has a Vault or Hidden App
Before getting out of hand or overreacting, consider a few signs that may reveal whether you should begin to dig deeper into what your child may be doing on their phone.
1. Over-possession
We don’t mean only keeping their phone glued to their hand and their side, as this is typical of younger generations. We mean ‘out of the normal’ possessive behavior where the phone is rarely out of your child’s sight. Keep a watch out for activity where they keep the screen face down at all times, getting anxious when someone is near or close to the phone.
2. Password Protection
Yes, it is smart to keep a password on the cellphone, especially in case it gets stolen or misplaced. However, if your child constantly changes the password and does not want to share it with you, they may be participating in something dubious.
3. Clearing History
If you do take a look at your child’s phone regularly, it can help to know what to look for. Sometimes kids are way more tech-savvy than parents and can outsmart them in ways that some parents can’t imagine.
If you often check your child’s phone and they are open and knowledgeable about that, they could be clearing their surfing history, leaving nothing for you to see. It could be a sign that they are trying to hide something, though finding out what exactly it is will more than likely require some extra digging.
4. Lots of Apps
As we said, there are so many ways that children can hide things from their parents, and new conspicuous apps seem to be hitting the market day by day. Some of the most popular apps that keep things hidden don’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. If you see things like extra calculators, clocks, or seemingly normal apps, you should start to keep your eyes peeled for what exactly your child may be hiding.
There is no sure way to guess unless you read up on the topic and prepare yourself for the right things to look for when checking your child’s phone. If you notice an increase in the behaviors mentioned above, it could be time to start doing some research, taking a closer look at your kid’s smartphone contents and monitoring their activity with some spy app to regain the peace of mind.
What Is Your Teen Hiding on Their Phone?
What exactly are the things that you may find hiding on your teen’s phone? The most common are apps that hide messages. Messaging is the preferred method of contact among young people, and many of these messages may have words or topics that they may want to keep secret. There is also a large market for apps that hide pictures, as most teens want to keep their photos private. Still, this could be dangerous and potentially harming to their image if not taken care of correctly, making it important to nip in the bud.
What Should you Do to Find Hidden Apps on Android?
If you find hidden apps, the first and best thing to do is remain calm. Try not to overreact and try to be understanding. Depending on what type of app you find, you should breathe first and decide which action to take. Give your children time to explain themselves and give them space and patience to talk. Once you’ve done that, you’ll more than likely want to think of a punishment that works best and possibly limit their cell phone use.
It is more important most times that children have a phone to stay connected and safe, but proper education on the potential risks and harms of conspicuous messaging and sharing of private photos is required to secure your children from bullying, predators, and cyber-predators.
