Privacy and security have always been big issue for the Android Operating System. Even when messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, and KakaoTalk have emerged, this issue remains. If I’m not mistaken… Privacy and security are probably the biggest concerns for most Android users.
Protecting the privacy of your messages
For a lot of users, even if instant messaging is what people use now on Android, a lot of people still use SMS as a way of communication. The bad news is, there are times when other people invade your privacy by reading your SMS. Don’t worry! Be smart and just hide them! The methods below help you to hide SMS notifications even on the lock screen. Also, you can hide incoming text messages from a specific contact as well. If you’re looking for a way to hide your incoming SMS and MMS from the default messaging app on your Android device, continue reading.
1. How to hide SMS on Android by archiving them
Archiving SMS messages on your messenger app will help you hide SMS messages without having to delete them. This feature is available on almost all Android messaging apps, and is generally accessible by long-pressing on a specific contact. For this tutorial, I used the Google Messenger app for reference. If you don’t already have an messenger app, I recommend using Google Messenger. You can download the app by clicking on the button below.
Step 1: Open your messager app
After opening the app, slide the message to the right to archive it. If this doesn’t work on your messenger app, you can do this by long-pressing on a specific contact. By doing this, the messages you archived won’t appear on your messenger app’s home page.
Step 2: See your archived messages
To see the messages you archived, just tap on the options (three-dots) menu and select “Archived.” Here you’ll see all of the messages you’ve archived.
2. How to hide SMS on Android with a Third-Party App
There are many apps that can help you hide SMS on Android, but for the purpose of this article I’ll show you how to use one in particular, Message Locker. In this method, aside from having the ability to hide SMS on Android, I’ll also show you how to hide apps that have private content.
Step 1: Download and install the app
The app is free, although it includes in-app purchases.
Step 2: Create and confirm your PIN
This is necessary to access the app, since it’s a privacy app, it’ll require you to create a PIN for the app. Alternatively, you can also create a pattern, if you’re more comfortable with that form of security.
Step 3: Set-up recovery
This is necessary in case you forget your PIN. If you have bad memory, I suggest you check out our list of best password managers.
Step 4: Choose apps to hide
You now have the chance to select what apps you want to hide. If you want to hide your SMS messages, you should select your stock messaging app (or any messaging apps that you use and want to make private). If you’re looking for other messaging apps, you can check out our list of best messaging apps.
Step 5: Explore other options
By pressing the menu bar in the upper left-hand corner (three vertical lines), you can lock photos, clear junk, upgrade, or learn more about the app.
Hide Your SMS Messages – Take Back Your Privacy
Whether you want to hide SMS on Android from a specific person or you just want to keep your SMS messages private, you can follow the steps mentioned above and learn how to hide SMS and MMS on Android. Make sure that you follow the instructions properly and feel free to shoot any questions below. You might also be interested in using a customizable SMS app instead of the default SMS app. You can check out our list of the 10 best SMS apps for Android. If you’ve previously deleted important messages from your phone in order to avoid others seeing them, then you can read the guide on how to retrieve deleted messages. So what method did you try? Let me know your opinion in the comments section down below! Featured Image Link
