Even in the age of WhatsApp and other online chatting apps, there are a good number of people who rely on SMS and text messages for communication. For starters, it does not require an active internet connection. It has a simple interface and does not depend on the other person using a particular app. Some people find SMS and text messaging safe and more reliable. As a result, they carry out personal as well as professional conversations via SMS thread. The real problem arises when a friend or colleague takes your phone and goes through your personal messages as a joke or prank. They might not have any malicious intent but it feels uncomfortable when someone else reads your private messages. Privacy is a major concern for Android users and this is what we are going to discuss in this article. We are going to provide easy fixes and solutions that will allow you to hide text messages or SMS on your Android device.
How to hide text messages or SMS on Android
Method 1: Hide Text Messages by Archiving them
The default messaging app on Android does not have any built-in option to hide text messages or SMS. The best alternative to this is to archive text messages. Archived messages will not be visible in your Inbox and in this way, you can prevent others from reading them. Follow the steps given below to see how.
How to hide text messages or SMS on Android Method 1: Hide Text Messages by Archiving them Method 2: Using third-party apps to hide text messages or SMS
1. Firstly, make sure that you are using the Google Messenger app as your default SMS app. For most Android devices, this app is already the default messaging app but some OEMs like Samsung have their own app (e.g. Samsung Messages). 2. If Google Messenger is not your default SMS app, then click on the link given here, to download the app and then set it as your default messaging app. 3. Now launch the Messenger app on your device.
4. Scroll through the list of messages to get to the conversation thread that you would like to archive. 5. Now simply slide the message to the right and the entire conversation will be archived.
6. It will no longer be visible in the Inbox and thus no one would be able to read it.
7. To access your archived messages, simply tap on the menu option (three vertical dots) on the top-right hand side of the screen and select the Archived option from the drop-down menu.
8. In this way, only you can access your private messages and no one else as people usually do not go through the trouble of opening Archived messages. Also Read: How to back up and restore text messages on Android
Method 2: Using third-party apps to hide text messages or SMS
Although archiving text messages will remove them from the Inbox but it still does not guarantee that no one except you would be able to read them. This is because it is still not technically hiding these messages. To truly hide your messages, you need to install a third-party app that will either hide your messages or at least set a password lock for your Messages app. In this section, we are going to discuss some of the best apps that you can use to ensure that your privacy is protected and your text messages or SMS are hidden on your Android phone.
- Private SMS and Call – Hide Text This is a complete messaging and calling app in itself. It provides and safe and personal space where you can carry out your conversations without worrying about someone else reading your messages. Once you download and install the app, you will be provided with a password-protected space. Set up a PIN-based lock and it will prevent anyone else from accessing your private messages. When you launch the app for the first time, you will have to import all your contact to the app and then use the app to send messages to these contacts. The contacts that you import to the app will be labeled as private and any message that you receive from them will get directed to the app. The best part is that your default messaging app will show a dummy message every time you receive an SMS from them. The app also offers additional features like custom notification tones for private contacts, hiding call logs, blocking calls at selective hours.
- GO SMS Pro GO SMS Pro is another interesting app that is widely used and quite popular. It is available for free on Play Store and you can definitely give it a try. It has a neat and simple interface with a plethora of customization options. This guarantees a personalized user experience. Apart from its looks, it is an excellent private messaging app that ensures your privacy. It provides a PIN code protected space to store all your private and personal conversations. Similar to the previous app that we discussed; you need to import all those contacts that you would like to hide. Any message that you receive from these contacts will be displayed here. The Private box that stores private messages can itself be hidden. If you are looking for an alternate messaging app, then GO SMS Pro is a perfect solution. It not only has cool aesthetics but also provides decent privacy protection.
- Calculator Vault If you are looking for a sneaky and secret app then this app is for you. As the name suggests, this app looks like a normal calculator on the outside but in reality, is a secret vault. You can hide your messages, contacts, call logs, etc. Even if anyone takes possession of your phone, they will not be able to access data that is saved inside the vault. To access the secret vault, all that you need to do is enter “123+=” in the calculator. Here, you can add multiple contacts that you would like to be private. Any message or call that you receive from these contacts will appear in this vault, instead of your default messaging app. This way you can rest assured that no one else is reading your messages.
- Message Locker – SMS Lock The last app on this list isn’t exactly a private messaging app. Instead, it is an app locker that will allow you to set a password or PIN code lock on your stock Messaging app. You can also lock other apps like Contacts, Gallery, social media apps, etc. that contain private and personal information. Setting up and using the app is pretty easy. Once you have downloaded and installed the app from the Play Store, you can use it to set a lock on your personal apps. Message Locker allows you to choose from a PIN or pattern-based lock. When the app is launched for the first time, it presents you with a list of apps that it thinks should be looked at. Apps like Messages, Contacts, Gallery, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. are present in the suggestion list. You can add any number of apps that you would like to lock by tapping on the ‘+’ icon. All these apps will require a PIN/pattern to open. Therefore, it would be impossible for anyone else to go through your personal messages. Recommended:
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We hope that you find this information helpful and you were able to easily hide text messages or SMS on your Android device. It is a serious invasion of privacy when someone else opens your messages. It is difficult to trust someone completely when you are giving your personal mobile to them. Therefore, it becomes necessary to hide your private and personal conversations lest someone decides to read them just as a prank. The apps and techniques discussed in this article will prove to be very effective in helping you maintain your privacy. Go ahead and try a couple of them and see which one suits you best.
