Where is Secure Folder on Samsung, and how do you open it?
It's usually hidden, not gone.
If Secure Folder is set up, open it from its icon on the Apps screen. No icon? Swipe down twice from the top of the screen and tap the Secure Folder tile, which brings the icon back. If it was never set up, start it in Settings, under Security and privacy, then More security settings, then Secure Folder.
If you've used it before
Look on the Apps screen. Swipe up from the home screen and search for "Secure Folder". It may be inside a folder of other apps.
Turn the icon back on. Secure Folder's icon can be switched off, and that's the most common reason people think it's gone. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the full quick settings panel. Look for a Secure Folder tile, swiping left through the pages if needed, and tap it. The icon comes back on the Apps screen.
No tile? Tap the pencil or edit button in the quick settings panel, find Secure Folder in the list of spare tiles, and drag it into the panel.
If it was never set up
- Open Settings.
- Tap Security and privacy, then More security settings, then Secure Folder. On older phones it's under Biometrics and security.
- Sign in to your Samsung account and choose a lock.
If it isn't in Settings at all, your phone may not support it. Some budget Galaxy models leave it out, and it stops working on rooted phones. Our Secure Folder guide covers setup in full.
If you can't get in
When you set Secure Folder up, Samsung asks whether your Samsung account can reset its lock. If you said yes, tap Forgot on the Secure Folder lock screen and sign in to your Samsung account to set a new one.
If you said no, there's no way back in. That's the point of the setting, and it's worth knowing before you put anything irreplaceable in there.
After a new phone
Secure Folder doesn't always come across with Smart Switch, so a missing Secure Folder on a new phone may mean it was left on the old one. Our guide to moving Secure Folder to a new phone explains what to check before you wipe the old phone.
Something simpler for photos
If all you want is a few photos behind a lock of their own, Dobr opens with a pattern you draw and works on any Android phone, Samsung or not. There's no account behind it and no internet permission, so nothing in it can leave the phone.
Last checked 2026-11-04. Phone menus change between Android versions and brands, so labels on your phone may differ slightly.