Why There's A Folder Icon On Top Of Your Samsung Phone's Screen (And How To Turn It Off)

Samsung devices, such as the Galaxy S26 series, are great for staying current in today's tech world, but navigating them to find and understand every feature can be a challenge. The company's smartphones arrive with a variety of software goodies, but users may not always know when said features are trying to tell them something — such as a certain folder icon appearing at the top of your screen. It may seem like a common problem to fix, but this icon is there for a reason.

Samsung devices have a Secure Folder app that provides a password-protected space for storing personal data. It can be especially handy for those who value their privacy, but you may see a Secure Folder icon or even notifications when the app is active or unlocked. Fortunately, Samsung provides several options for not only eliminating these icons and notifications, but also for changing the appearance of the Secure Folder so that it's more inconspicuous.

For what it's worth, users can set up a Secure Folder by opening Settings, selecting Security and privacy, choosing More security settings, and selecting Secure Folder. Choose Continue, and your device will walk you through setting up a PIN or password. Users just need to remember to enable Reset with Samsung account during the process. You may find that the Secure Folder feature is something you didn't know your Samsung phone could do.

Introduced in February 2017, Samsung's Secure Folder relies on the Samsung Knox security platform to provide users with an encrypted space. It can rely on either a passcode or biometric data to keep things safe, and users can store files, photos, data, apps, and videos privately. However, like other apps, it has its own icon and can even send you notifications. Fortunately, they can be disabled.

To quickly hide the folder, users can swipe down with two fingers to open Quick Settings, then tap the Secure Folder icon to remove it from the app screen. You can also disable the icon in Settings.

Here are the steps:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Select Security and privacy.

3. Choose More security settings.

4. Choose Secure folder and sign in.

5. Toggle the switch next to "Add Secure Folder to Apps" on the Apps screen.

Users can also customize the look of Secure Folder to hide it, including its name and icon. Simply open Secure Folder, enter your information, select More options (three vertical dots), then hit Customize. Change the app name, pick a color, or select an icon; the choice is yours, but be sure to hit Apply when you're finished customizing. Lastly, Secure Lock can display notifications even when the app itself is locked. To change this, follow steps one through four above, then select Notifications to enable or disable them. You may also want to check out these features that only Samsung Galaxy devices have.