How to hide a running program in the tray. Program for hiding programs and active windows

Nowadays, developers of devices of different brands build proprietary programs into the operating system of their gadgets. There can be up to 10 such applications, and they cannot be deleted because they are marked as system ones. As a rule, no one needs these programs and few people use them. If you are one of such people, then this article is for you.

How to hide pre-installed programs

Now we will tell you how to hide or, in other words, disable the necessary applications on Android. This will allow you to slightly unload the memory of your smartphone.

You need to do the following:

  1. Go to phone settings.
  2. Select "Applications".
  3. Scroll to the "All" tab.
  4. Select the application that you want to remove, but cannot remove.
  5. Click the “Off” button located on the right.

After these steps, the disabled software product will be placed on the “Disabled” tab in the “Programs” category, and if necessary, you can return it by selecting it and clicking the “Enable” button.

Hide program icons

This method is needed when you just need to hide the display of an icon in the menu. For this task, you will need a third-party launcher.

Let's look at a method using Apex() as an example to hide the application icon:

  1. On the home window of the launcher, double-click on an empty space somewhere in the center of the screen.
  2. Go to "Apex settings".
  3. In the window that opens, select “Application menu settings.”
  4. Next, go to “Hidden Applications”.
  5. And check the boxes that you don’t want to see on the menu.
  6. Then confirm with the “Save” button.

Hide programs from strangers

This method will be useful for those who want to hide programs that are important to them from anyone. To do this, you need to use the Hide Pictures – Hide it Pro program.
Hide it Pro allows you to make pictures, music, videos and any other files and applications invisible to others.

In addition to hiding the application, using Hide it Pro() you can block them - set a password to open them.

Note: needed for full-fledged work ROOT rights on the device.

To remove the application icon, you need to do:

  1. Launch Hide Pictures – Hide it Pro, this will open the application as an audio manager. The main functionality is hidden inside.
  2. Click on the “Audio Manager” logo to open the following window.
  3. The next step is to set a password for the “illegal” entry of another person.
  4. The main menu will open in front of you. Select the Hide Apps icon.
  5. You will be asked to install the appropriate plugin, agree to this.
  6. Next there will be a warning that superuser rights are required. Click "OK"
  7. Go to the All Applications tab.
  8. Select the program you want to hide and confirm the action.

That's all we looked at three simple options for hiding applications and icons. As you can see, there shouldn't be any difficulties.

Hi all!

This feature is simply necessary when someone else is using your computer.

After all, this “someone” can “accidentally” spy on your personal information.

Or children use the computer - their “activities” can generally lead to the destruction of personal data.

I’ll tell you how to hide files on your computer, using the example of the currently most popular operating system for personal computers – Windows 7. I use it for both work and entertainment, and I think most readers do too.

Established funds

So, let's get straight to the point. The first method is based on using the capabilities of Windows itself - those tools that are created to hide important operating system files from the user in order to avoid harm to it. The method allows you to make arbitrary files and directories invisible. The important thing is that in this case any conflicts with Windows are excluded, since everything is done using its own means.

How is this done? For experiments it is better to create a new folder:

  1. select a free area on the desktop,
  2. click with the right mouse button,
  3. click “Create”,
  4. then - “Folder”.

That's it, a “New Folder” has appeared on the desktop. Now open its properties (again through the right button) and check the “Hidden” attribute, click “Ok”.

As a result, the new folder should either disappear or become semi-transparent. In the second case, additional manipulations need to be done.

We turn to the “Control Panel” (through the menu opened by the “Start” button), where in the “Folder Options” section, open the “View” tab and check the box next to the line “Do not show hidden...” (at the bottom of the list of options). Click “Ok” and that’s it, the new folder on the desktop has become invisible!

To “return” it (as well as any other hidden directories), that is, to make it visible and accessible, you just need to set it to “Show hidden files, folders and drives.”

The method is proven and reliable, and does not require additional programs or any special knowledge.

There is only one minus - a person who is well versed in computer intricacies can easily find your personal files if desired, by disabling hiding in the settings. But someone who doesn’t know how to find what’s hidden will try to “dance” away from the search, however, even after entering the name of the hidden file correctly, he will not receive any information about it from the operating system - the file is not there, and that’s it!

A tricky way to hide information

If you want to make it so that some video file on your computer cannot be watched, then you can simply change its extension (the icon of the video file will change and it will not be possible to play it with a simple click).

To do this, select “Rename” in the menu with the right mouse button, edit the file name - replace (or remove) all the characters after the period, usually there are three of them. Although... it’s better not to change it, but to add one more dot, and after it put three new symbols, which obviously will not match any standard extension.

For example, the following are suitable: 00A, 11B, 5AB... (with numbers). In the future, to return the normal extension, you will simply need to remove the added one.

This method works with files of any type (but not with folders): Word documents, pictures, executable files...

The problem may be that the extensions are not displayed by the operating system. Then you need to go to the settings before renaming (as described in the previous paragraph), turn off hiding extensions, and turn it on again after renaming.

A knowledgeable person, of course, will be able to figure this out, but this may take a lot of time.

You can hide it in the archive

A good option might be to use . An appropriate program, for example, WinRAR or 7-Zip, will help you securely hide documents or photos. As a rule, there is no need to select strong compression in the settings, but assigning a password to the archive is mandatory.

By moving files and folders to a password-protected archive, you will leave no chance for anyone to use them. Write down the password so you don’t forget.

The network is full of software that solves the problem of, if not hiding files, then prohibiting or restricting access to them. As a rule, these are encryption programs. I strongly advise you to use such programs carefully (and!), otherwise your files may become inaccessible to you.

For those who want to understand this topic thoroughly, or simply become a more experienced PC user, there is a training course “ Computer genius" I advise you to take it, as a result of training you can learn a lot of useful and interesting things from the world of computers.

Sincerely! Abdullin Ruslan

Today, millions of people around the world use various gadgets. The vast majority of them are equipped with the Android operating system. It happens that you want to close an application from prying eyes. A password may not always help, and you don’t want to set one every time. Or another situation is possible. Unfortunately, now many developers install proprietary programs that few people use. These applications cannot be deleted because they are marked as system applications. And now we were faced with the question: “How to hide applications on Android?” Let's look at this problem and look at the most common methods.

How to hide applications on Android

If you just want to unload memory from “system” applications, you can disable them. How to do this?

  1. Go to the settings of your smartphone.
  2. Select the “Applications” item and go to the “All” tab.
  3. Next, you need to find the application that you want to remove. Of course, we won’t be able to delete them, but it’s easy to simply free up memory from unused programs.
  4. Click on the desired utility and click on the “Disable” button.

That's all. All applications that you have disabled are moved to the Disabled tab, and you can enable them if necessary.

How to hide program icons

If you just need to hide the application icon from prying eyes, you will need to install a custom launcher (Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher). They are convenient and, importantly, have many interesting features. So, you have installed additional software. How to hide applications on Android?

  1. On the desktop, you need to double-click on the screen to open the launcher settings.
  2. Next, select “Settings” and click on it.
  3. Go to “Application Menu Settings”.
  4. In the new tab you can see the “Hidden Applications” item, where you need to mark all the programs that you want to hide.
  5. After this, you need to confirm your actions by clicking on the “Save” button.

That's it, you have hidden the applications you need. This will not affect their performance in any way; the system will simply hide the shortcut. How to find hidden applications on Android? To do this, we also go to hidden applications, however, to see the program again, you need to uncheck the box.

How to hide applications from strangers

To do this for sure, put a password on them and remove them from visibility, you need to install additional software. The Hide Pictures program is designed specifically for these purposes. It allows you to hide not only programs, but also photos, videos and music from other users.

Hide Pictures can work on any launcher, but, unfortunately, for this utility to fully work, you need ROOT rights. Let's look at how to hide applications on Android using additional software.


Conclusion

How to hide an application on Android 6.0, 5.1, 4.4 and other earlier versions? We looked at 3 main ways that allow you to hide applications from unauthorized persons. Of course, they require additional software, but this is the only way you can achieve your goal.

In today's material we will talk to you about how to hide an application on Android. We will not consider the ethical side of this issue. It doesn’t matter for what reasons you want to do this: hide a VKontakte application from a girl, hide a photo gallery from your wife, or simply remove a program you don’t regret from your eyes, all this can be done using special programs.

There is no point in considering the method of disabling applications in the settings, since this method does not work on most programs. The task is to hide the icon from the Android desktop, and the program itself can be launched.

Let's move on to the list of the most popular programs that can be used to hide applications in Android. Note that they work on system 2.3 and higher. Some of them may require .

If you have forgotten your password, enter 123456789+987654321.

This is not the entire list of existing utilities that will help you hide the files you need. There are many more of them, we are just talking about the most popular ones, in our opinion.

Conclusion. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time delving into the settings, choose the first or third. For those who want to completely change the settings of their phone - 2.

That's all. Write in the comments what did you choose and why?

Often, users of Android smartphones and tablets need to hide certain applications from the list of installed applications on the device, or at least from the menu. There may be two reasons for this. The first is the protection of privacy or personal data from unauthorized persons. Well, the second is usually associated with the desire, if not to delete, then at least to hide unnecessary system applications.

However, not everyone is ready to take this kind of path. For such users, a simpler and faster option is available - disabling an unnecessary application through the system settings. Of course, this is only a partial solution, because the memory occupied by the program is not freed in this way, but nothing else will be an “eyesore” for you.


An application deactivated in this way will disappear from the menu of your smartphone or tablet. However, the program will still be listed as installed on the device and, accordingly, will remain available for re-enablement.

Method 2: Calculator Vault (Root)

If you have superuser rights, the task becomes even easier. There are a number of utilities for hiding photos, videos, applications and other data, but of course you need Root to work with them.

One of the best examples of this kind of software is the Calculator Vault program. It disguises itself as a regular calculator and contains a set of tools to protect your privacy, including the ability to lock or hide applications.

  1. So, to use the utility, first install it from the Play Market and then launch it.

  2. An unremarkable calculator at first glance will open, but you just have to hold down the touch on the inscription "Calculator", a routine called PrivacySafe will be launched.

    Click on the button "Next" and grant the application all necessary permissions.

  3. Then tap again "Next", after which you will have to come up with and draw a pattern twice to protect hidden data.

    In addition, you can come up with a secret question and answer to restore access to PrivacySafe if you suddenly forget your password.

  4. After completing the initial setup, you will be taken to the main work area of ​​the application. Now swipe or tap on the corresponding icon to open the slide-out menu on the left and go to the section "App Hide".

    Here you can add any number of applications to the utility and then hide them. To do this, tap the icon «+» and select the desired titles from the list. Then click on the button with the crossed out eye icon and grant Calculator Vault superuser rights.

  5. Ready! The application you specified is hidden and is now only accessible from the section "App Hide" in PrivacySafe.

    To return a program to the menu, long tap on its icon and check the box "Remove from List", then click "OK".

In general, there are a lot of similar utilities, both in the Play Store and beyond. And this is the most convenient and easiest option for hiding applications with important data from prying eyes. Of course, if you have Root rights.

Method 3: App Hider

This is a more compromise solution compared to Calculator Vault, however, unlike it, this application does not require superuser privileges on the system. The principle of App Hider is that the hidden program is cloned, and its original version is deleted from the device. The application we are considering is a kind of environment for running duplicate software, which, again, can be hidden behind a regular calculator.

However, the method is not without drawbacks. So, if you need to return a hidden application to the menu, you will have to reinstall it from the Play Store, because although a fully functional clone adapted for App Hider remains on the device. In addition, some programs are simply not supported by the utility. However, the developers claim that there are very few of them.

  1. After installing the application from the Play Store, launch it and click on the button "Add App". Then select one or more programs to hide and tap "Import Apps".

  2. The cloning will be done and the imported application will appear on the App Hider desktop. To hide it, tap the icon and select "Hide". After this, you will have to confirm that you are ready to remove the original version of the program from the device by tapping "Uninstall" in a pop-up window.

  3. To enter a hidden application, restart App Hider and click on the program icon, then tap in the dialog box "Launch".

  4. To restore hidden software, as mentioned above, you will have to install it again from the Play Store. Just tap the app icon in App Hider and click the button "Unhide". Then tap "Install" to go directly to the program page on Google Play.

  5. Similar to the case with Calculator Vault, you can hide the App Hider itself behind another application. In this case, this is the Calculator+ program, which also copes well with its main responsibilities.

    So, open the side menu of the utility and go to the section "Protect AppHider". On the tab that opens, click on the button "Setup PIN Now" down.

    Enter your four-digit numeric PIN and tap in the pop-up window "Confirm".

    After this, App Hider will be removed from the menu, and the Calculator+ application will take its place. To go to the main utility, simply enter the combination you came up with.

If you don't have Root rights and you agree with the principle of app cloning, this is the best solution you could choose. It combines usability and a high degree of protection for hidden user data.

Method 4: Apex Launcher

It’s even easier to hide any application from the menu, without superuser privileges. True, for this you will have to change the system shell, say, to Apex Launcher. Yes, such a tool cannot hide anything from the list of programs installed on the device, but if this is not necessary, a third-party launcher with this feature can easily solve the issue.

In addition, Apex Launcher is a convenient and beautiful shell with a wide range of functions. Various gestures and design styles are supported, and almost every element of the launcher can be finely tuned according to the user’s wishes.

  1. Install the application and set it as your default skin. To do this, go to the Android desktop by clicking on the button "Home" on your device or by performing the appropriate gesture. Then select Apex Launcher as your main app.

  2. Long tap on an empty space on one of the Apex screens and open a tab "Settings", marked with a gear icon.

  3. Go to section "Hidden Applications" and touch the button "Add hidden apps" located at the bottom of the display.

  4. Check the apps you want to hide, say QuickPic Gallery, and click "Hide app".

  5. All! After this, the program you selected becomes hidden from the menu and desktop of the Apex launcher. To make it visible again, simply go to the appropriate section of the shell settings and click on the button "Unhide" opposite the desired name.

As you can see, a third-party launcher is a fairly simple and at the same time effective way to hide any applications from the menu of your device. At the same time, it is not necessary to use Apex Launcher, because other shells such as Nova from TeslaCoil Software can boast of similar capabilities.