The Galaxy A-series has been a runaway hit for Samsung this year. The company has launched some impressive handsets under the Galaxy A moniker this year including the Galaxy A20, Galaxy A30, Galaxy A50, Galaxy A70, and the Galaxy A90. These handsets run on One UI and pack plenty of features and customization options. Among other things, One UI on the Galaxy A30, A50, etc., also offers the option to password protect installed apps for additional security.
Many people would want to lock down WhatsApp or their Gallery to prevent someone from spying on their conversations and photos. Plus, given that we all store some private documents, photos, and other content on our phones, it is likely that we would like to protect them from prying eyes as well. Samsung thought of this which is why it has included its handy Secure Folder feature in One UI on the Galaxy A30, A50, and other Galaxy A smartphones.
The feature will allow users to password protect installed apps on their Galaxy A smartphone along with keeping their important and sensitive documents and files hidden from prying eyes. Wondering how to use the Secure Folder feature on your Galaxy A20, A30, A50? Read below.
Lock Apps Using Secure Folder on Galaxy A20, A30, and A50
Step 1: Go to Settings -> Biometrics and security -> Secure Folder. Proceed to set up Secure Folder. You will have to enter your Samsung account credentials during the process for verification purposes.
Step 2: Proceed to select a PIN, password, or pattern lock for the Secure folder. You also have the option of using the fingerprint scanner to access the Secure folder.
Step 3: Once you are done setting up the Secure folder password, you will be some shown system apps. These are secondary copies of the system apps already present on your phone. Any content you store inside these system apps will remain hidden and separate from their primary copies.
Step 4: Now, any app you want to protect, simply move it to Secure Folder. Press the Add Apps option inside Secure Folder and select the apps you want to protect. You can also directly download apps from Google Play inside Secure Folder.
What’s more, you can even use Secure Folder to secure personal files stored on your Galaxy A30, A50, or any other Galaxy A smartphone.
You can quickly access Secure Folder on your Galaxy A-series smartphone from the shortcut in the app drawer. Every time you open Secure Folder, you will first have to enter the unlock pattern/pin/password or you can simply verify your identity using the fingerprint scanner. For security purposes, Secure Folder cannot be unlocked using face unlock.
The best part about Secure Folder is just how secure it is. You cannot easily share data from apps stored inside Secure Folder with other apps that are not a part of the folder. Plus, the data of all apps inside Secure Folder is kept separate from
You will automatically receive notifications from all apps that are moved to Secure Folder. However, the details of these notifications will be hidden by default. If you don’t like this behavior, you can change it from the settings of Secure Folder.
The Catch with Secure Folder
While Secure Folder is great for protecting your data from prying eyes, there’s one issue with how it has been implemented. Whenever you move an app to Secure Folder, a secondary secure copy is automatically created. You will have to set up the Secure Folder version of the app again as data from your originally installed app will not be carried forward. For example, if you move WhatsApp to Secure Folder, you will have to set it up again as data from your primary install won’t be carried forward.
This is a side effect of the additional security that is offered by Secure Folder. If you can look past this issue though, Secure Folder on the Galaxy A20, A30, A50, and other A-series smartphone is easily the best and safest way to secure your files and apps.
Do you like the Secure Folder feature on your Galaxy A30, A50 or any other Samsung smartphone? Drop a comment and let us know!
