Change these 5 Samsung settings before letting someone borrow your phone

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Released Oct 30, 2026, 7:01 PM EDT

A Computer Engineer turned tech-savvy. Sanya belongs to the How to Geek group, and she covers Android, Samsung, Google, apps, and daily innovation, integrating hands-on experience with comprehensive research study. She assists readers comprehend innovation without getting lost in technical lingo.

My sibling’s phone quit working one early morning, so I provided to provide him my Samsung phone for the day. He simply required it to make crucial calls, so I didn’t mind handing it over. I wasn’t stressed over him coming across my individual images, WhatsApp discussions, or work files either.

I’ve allowed a couple of personal privacy settings that keep this info safeguarded before handing my phone to him. I understand how rapidly my sibling can get curious.

Here are 5 methods I safeguard my personal privacy, thanks to these settings.

He can’t go digging through my picture gallery

Samsung Secure Folder keeps my personal images locked away

I understand my bro all right to anticipate him to get a little too comfy with my phone. The minute he recognizes he has it for the entire day, he may open my Gallery and begin erasing all his amusing photos.

Good shot, however> I’m constantly one action ahead.

I’ve currently moved his awkward photos into Samsung Secure Folder. It keeps them in a different, password-protected area, far from my routine Gallery. To set it up, I go to Settings-> Security and personal privacy-> More security settings-> Secure Folder (the specific course might differ by One UI variation). After establishing a lock,

I can include images and files to it from Gallery or My Files. Now, even if he understands my phone PIN, he still requires different authentication to sleuth around. My message sneak peeks aren’t for his eyes

Conceal alert material on the lock screen

I do not desire my bro reading my notices or getting interrupted by consistent pings while he’s attempting to work. It might be a WhatsApp chatter upgrade from a good friend, a random app alert, or a bank OTP I do not desire him seeing. He does not require a live feed of whatever taking place on my phone even if he’s obtaining it. I likewise silence alert sounds so he can concentrate on work.

Before handing it over, I conceal delicate alert material from the lock screen. On my Samsung phone, I go to Settings ->> Notifications ->> Hide material while lockedHe can still see that I’ve gotten a notice from the app, however the real message or OTP remains concealed.

I understand this does not stop him from opening apps and reading their contents. That’s why I altered the next setting, too.

He can make calls, however he can’t sleuth around my apps

App pinning locks him onto one app

I understand that after seeing a million notices, my bro may get> lured to open WhatsApp and capture up on all the chatter. He informed me he just requires my phone to make calls, not sleuth around my apps.

I utilize Samsung’s App pinning function to lock him into the Phone app. As soon as I pin it, he can make calls however can’t change to WhatsApp, Gallery, or any other app without unpinning the screen. To set it up, I open Settings -> Security and personal privacy-> More security settings-> Pin app., turn it on, and make it possible for the alternative to need my PIN before unpinning. I open the Phone app, tap its icon in Recent apps, and choose Pin this app.

Now, he can make his calls without roaming through my phone.

My phone watches on suspicious apps

Samsung Privacy Alerts assistance flag possible personal privacy threats

I likewise inspect Samsung’s Privacy Alerts to capture apps that may be accessing delicate info more frequently than they should. On my Galaxy phone, I open Now Brief-> Settings-> Content to consist of -> Device management and allow Security and personal privacy

Now Brief offers me a heads-up on whether an app or its authorizations look off. If I find an app requesting for gain access to it does not require, I can inspect> what it’s permitted to utilize under Settings -> Security and personal privacy -> Permission supervisor and withdraw anything that does not make good sense. It will not instantly obstruct every suspicious action, however it provides me a factor to take a more detailed look.

This personal privacy setting is more for him than me

Samsung Privacy Display limitations side-angle seeing

Because my sibling will be bring my phone around all the time, he may wind up utilizing it in a conference space or a congested location. I do not desire individuals sitting beside him looking at his screen, specifically when he’s examining his call history or other individual information.

That’s where Samsung’s Privacy Display can be found in. It restricts what individuals can see from the sides, so the screen’s simpler to check out directly on however more difficult to see from neighboring seats. I can allow it from Settings -> Display -> Privacy DisplayIt’s a helpful additional layer of personal privacy when he’s utilizing my phone in public.

I’m a great sibling.

I trust my bro, however I rely on these settings more

I do not mind assisting my bro when he requires a working phone, however providing somebody my gadget should not indicate quiting control over my individual details. These little safety measures take just a couple of minutes to establish, yet they make sharing my phone much less difficult.

I do not need to hover over his shoulder or stress over what he may inadvertently come across. I can hand it over, proceed with my day, and let him manage this.

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