Latest news with #SecureFolder
Phone Arena
17-07-2025
- Phone Arena
Galaxy phones had a hidden privacy flaw – and Samsung just patched it
Samsung has now patched a security flaw in its Secure Folder. The issue previously allowed anyone who had physical access to your Galaxy phone to take a look at your hidden apps and photos, and it has now been addressed by the South Korean company. Samsung's Secure Folder is a nice feature that allows you to easily hide sensitive files and apps on your Galaxy phone . The feature creates a separate, sandboxed (controlled, isolated environment) profile where you can move all your private content. This isolated profile is then protected with a passcode, thus stopping any unauthorized users from getting into what you've placed inside. All that sounds quite good until you find out that there was a flaw in this feature, discovered earlier this flaw basically allowed anyone who manages to get physical access to your phone (like, stealing it, for example) to see which apps and photos you had hidden in that Secure Folder. Luckily, though, the latest One UI 8 release is also bringing a patch for this security on Android are sandboxed spaces with their own app data separate from the profile for the main user. Profiles do share the same lifecycle and some settings that are applied system-wide. Basically, you have different types of profiles, including a "work profile". With Android 14, people could also clone profiles if they wanted to run an app multiple times, while Android 15 brought private profiles, which are aimed at supporting Google's Private Space feature. Back in 2017, Samsung introduced Secure Folder. When the company did it, it had only one option, though: Secure Folder had to be implemented as a "work profile". For the most part, this worked, but there comes the catch: some system components would incorrectly categorize the Secure Folder as a standard work profile. Of course, this would be a problem because then the Secure Folder wouldn't get treated as a highly secure space by those system components. This would mean that some system components could potentially reveal the sensitive information that was hidden inside. Yep, more or less, the system could somewhat leak Secure Folder files or apps. Some of these system components include the Photo Picker or the Permission Controller, which are not managed by Samsung's One UI but instead are controlled by Google. Google has made these specific components able to recognize and hide content within Android 14 's private profiles, which are used for the Private Space feature. However, the components weren't designed to assign the same level of privacy to profiles designated as "work profiles". So yep, the Photo Picker and the Permission Controller were able to see photos and apps hidden in the Secure Folder and inadvertently reveal them. The latest release of One UI 8 addresses this issue. | Image Credit - Samsung" Luckily, though, Samsung's now fixed the issue with One UI 8 . The company has now reclassified the Secure Folder as a "private" profile, not as a "work" one. Now, with this change, Samsung makes sure that the Photo Picker and the Permission Controller will keep their hands off your private files. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that this protection is only active when you have the Secure Folder fully hidden, not just closed. When you hide the folder, you not only remove its icon from the app drawer, but you also encrypt the data inside. And yep, this way, its apps can't run and they can't send notifications either. It's worth mentioning that the updated Secure Folder still doesn't integrate with third-party launchers, so that issue remains, as Android Authority rightfully underlines. Meanwhile, Android 15 's Private Space supports third-party launchers. Well, maybe this one is for fixing at a later time by Samsung. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
India Today
16-07-2025
- India Today
Samsung fixes major Secure Folder bug, hidden apps no longer at risk
If you've ever used a Samsung phone, chances are you've relied on the Secure Folder to store sensitive apps, files, or photos away from prying eyes. It's one of those features you don't think twice about — until something goes wrong. And earlier this year, something did. A flaw in how Samsung's Secure Folder worked meant that someone who had your phone in hand could technically peek into what apps and media you had hidden, even if they couldn't open them. Not ideal. Thankfully, with its latest One UI 8 update, Samsung has patched the issue and improved how Secure Folder behaves under the to a report by the Android Authority, the problem wasn't with the lock or password itself, but rather with how the Secure Folder was set up within Android's system. It was originally built using Android's 'work profile' — a feature meant for separating work apps and data on a phone. While that setup worked in most cases, it created a blind spot. Some parts of Android, particularly Google's Photo Picker and Permission Controller, didn't treat the Secure Folder as a truly private space. That meant they could unintentionally reveal details like which apps were inside or even show certain media files, all without actually unlocking the fix? Reclassifying the Secure Folder to use Android's new 'private' profile system — a feature that arrived with Android 15 and is part of Google's broader Private Space initiative. By doing this, Samsung ensures the folder is properly treated as a secure, isolated environment, even by system-level tools that aren't directly part of One UI. In short, this change makes the Secure Folder truly hidden again, not just locked away, but fully shielded from other parts of the phone unless actively opened by the user. It's worth noting that this extra protection only kicks in when you hide the Secure Folder, not just close it. Hiding it encrypts its contents and stops its apps from running or sending notifications — essentially putting the folder in lockdown. So if you're serious about privacy, make sure to take that extra is still one downside, though. Samsung hasn't yet made the Secure Folder play nicely with third-party launchers like Niagara or Nova Launcher. That's a bit frustrating, especially now that Google has added support for Private Space integration in Android 15. Whether Samsung plans to follow suit is unclear for this update is an important move in the right direction. For anyone who counts on their Secure Folder for an extra layer of privacy, it's a welcome fix.- Ends
Android Authority
16-07-2025
- Android Authority
Samsung fixes the Secure Folder flaw that let anyone see what apps you're hiding
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung has patched a Secure Folder flaw that previously allowed anyone with physical access to see your hidden apps and photos. The vulnerability existed because Secure Folder was implemented as a 'work profile,' which key system components didn't recognize as a highly secure space. One UI 8 reclassifies Secure Folder as a 'private' profile, ensuring system apps now correctly hide its sensitive files and app information from view. Samsung's Secure Folder feature makes it easy to hide sensitive files and apps on your Galaxy device. It creates a separate, sandboxed profile where you can move your private content. This profile is then protected by a passcode, preventing unauthorized users from accessing what's inside. However, a flaw was discovered earlier this year that allowed anyone with physical access to your device to see which apps and photos you had stored in your Secure Folder. Fortunately, Samsung has patched this vulnerability in its latest One UI 8 release. Here's how the flaw worked and what Samsung did to fix it. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. These reports reflect developments at the time of writing. Some features or details uncovered in leaks may change before official release. To understand the flaw, you first need to know about Android's 'profiles.' These are sandboxed spaces with their own app data separate from the main user, but they share the same lifecycle and some system-wide settings. The 'work profile' is the most well-known type, but there are some others. For instance, Android 14 introduced 'clone' profiles for running multiple instances of an app, while Android 15 added 'private' profiles to support Google's Private Space feature. When Samsung introduced Secure Folder back in 2017, the only option was to implement it as a 'work profile.' While this worked for the most part, it created a fundamental issue: some system components would incorrectly identify Secure Folder as a standard work profile. This was problematic because these components wouldn't treat it as the highly secure space it was intended to be, which could lead to them inadvertently revealing the sensitive information stored inside. You might wonder how it's possible for system components to leak Secure Folder data when Samsung controls the One UI operating system. The answer is that certain core components, like the Photo Picker and Permission Controller, are actually controlled by Google. Google designed these components to recognize and hide content within Android 15's new 'private' profiles (used for the Private Space feature). However, they weren't designed to afford the same protection to 'work' profiles. This is why the Photo Picker and Permission Controller could be used to see photos and reveal which apps were installed in the Secure Folder. Fortunately, One UI 8 fixes this by reclassifying Secure Folder as a 'private' profile. This change ensures that Google's Photo Picker and Permission Controller now recognize it as a protected space and properly hide its files and app information. It's important to note, however, that this protection is only active when you fully hide the Secure Folder, not just close it. Hiding the folder does more than just remove its icon from your app drawer; it also encrypts the data inside, which stops its apps from running and prevents them from sending notifications. One lingering issue, however, is that the updated Secure Folder still doesn't integrate with third-party launchers like Niagara Launcher. I was hopeful this would change, especially since Google enabled Private Space support for third-party launchers in Android 15, but it seems Samsung hasn't fully implemented the necessary APIs. Hopefully, this is something that can be addressed in a future One UI release. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
03-07-2025
- Android Authority
One UI 8 gives you more control over where your Secure Folder apps pop up
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung's Secure Folder lets you lock files and even entire apps behind an extra layer of protection. One UI 8 has already started improving how Secure Folder is accessed, with a quick lockdown shortcut. Now we're seeing Samsung add new settings for Secure Folder apps in your share sheet. Samsung likes to present its Galaxy smartphones as particularly secure devices, and has long leaned on its Knox security framework to highlight those features. That includes Secure Folder, the company's system for sequestering sensitive or just personal content behind some additional security, requiring extra authentication — at least, that's how it's supposed to work. Today we're checking out a recent change that looks like it's going to help streamline how you work with Secure Folder apps. Secure Folder isn't just a place to keep media and downloaded files, and Samsung also supports installing entire apps within this secure enclave. With One UI 8, we've already seen Samsung implementing new controls around this functionality, like the ability to quickly hide the Secure Folder and all apps installed there. As we continue to crawl through Samsung's beta releases, we've become aware of another tweak for Secure Folder apps. In One UI 8, Samsung is introducing a new setting that lets you control whether or not apps installed in your Secure Folder appear as sharing targets in the sheet from other apps (Thanks: That Josh Guy on X). Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority When enabled, just like it says on the tin, you'll easily be able to share content from normal apps with those locked behind Secure Folder's protections. We can easily imagine reasons why Galaxy users might potentially want to have that toggle flipped in both directions, but which way makes the most sense for you is going to depend a lot upon both what you use Secure Folder for, and which specific apps you keep tucked away in there. Samsung's Android 16-based One UI 8 beta has been off to a solid start so far, and we saw its third major release start rolling out just a few days back. Samsung still has some more work to do before this update's ready to hit stable, but with the company's big foldable Unpacked event scheduled to take place in under a week, though, we may be very close to getting some official release news. Check back with us on July 9 for all the details to emerge. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Tom's Guide
29-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Samsung's One UI 8 beta just added major improvements to Secure Folder — including a 'kill switch'
After One UI 7 suffered a bunch of serious delays, it's nice to see that One UI 8 seems to be back to a normal schedule. And now that the first beta version of the upgrade is rolling out, we're learning about all the extra features Samsung has added — including some key upgrades for the Secure Folder. Samsung has had a secure folder since 2017, well ahead of Apple and Android, but this year will see the company add a bunch of new features — some of which offer some parity with Android's Private Space feature. The most important is the new "kill switch" that lets you hide the secure folder from sight. The "Hide Secure Folder" button shows up in the quick panel, and removes the Secure Folder app icon from showing up on your device. That way, it's a little harder for thieves and other snoops to access whatever you've got locked away. Hiding the Secure Folder also stops any stored apps from working, meaning you won't get any notifications that might give the game away. This is one more way to stop apps from potentially giving the game away. Samsung also claims that this encrypts all apps and data, though from what I can tell, Secure Folder always did this. Still, that extra peace of mind is not unwelcome. Another major update to Secure Folder makes it a little more like Android's Private Space feature. With One UI 8, it now means that you can store apps in your Secure Folder without keeping a copy on the rest of your phone. You essentially hide those copied apps from your app drawer, meaning the Secure Folder is the only way to see and access them. You'd think this would have been an option from the beginning, but it's better late than never. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Biometric security has also been overhauled, with a feature that I'm actually very happy with. Rather than relying on the same fingerprints you use to unlock your phone, as was the case with One UI 7, One UI 8 now makes you register separate fingerprints for Secure Folder. Separating the two is definitely a good idea. You may, for example, have multiple people approved to use a certain device, but want to limit who can access secure files and apps. This lets you do that. It also means that potential thieves have one more obstacle before they can get to sensitive data. One UI 8 beta is available now, but only if you have a Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus or S25 Ultra in the U.S., U.K., Korea and Germany. There's no word on whether it will come to other devices or regions yet.
