Secure Folder For Dummies Please?

[Atsirt]

I don't get this feature at all. How do I know exactly what's in it and what isn't? Why do all apps automatically go into it? Why does it make me unlock it after turning my phone on? How do I delete it and not lose anything? I need an adult, help! 😁

[ZayedKherani · Accepted solution]

Secure folder is a very useful app in my opinion. You can use it to have a second account on apps that dont allow you to have multiple accounts signed simultaneously (Snapchat, WhatsApp, **bleep** even OneDrive and Amazon). Or you can use it to plain hide the apps and notifications (if you were sharing the phone with someone and you liked some privacy). When installing an app onto Secure Folder, it lets you select app(s) from the apps install on your phone, or use the Play Store/Galaxy Store option inside SF.
Now, no apps should actually automatically go into it, and there isn't an option for that either.
As for unlocking it after you phone turns on, when your phone starts up, your phone asks each app to start its background services, so you can receive notifications and whatnot, and when it asks Secure Folder, SF has to start its own services for its apps as well. SF can't do that as it is password protected and secure by Samsung's Knox, so as a privacy policy, Samsung has you put in the password for SF. You can definitely delete it and not lose any data stored on your phone, but any and all data on SF will be deleted. SF content also can't be copied onto another device using Smart Switch either.
To uninstall SF, Open SF -> Three dots at top right -> Settings -> More Settings -> Uninstall

[RedDogRabbit]

When you create the Secure Folder, not ALL of your apps are included, but you can add additional apps to the Secure Folder, if you want. 

The Unlock after a Reboot is annoying, and rather than remain unknown in it's existence, the Notification to unl, actually advertises it's presence on your device... Samsung should definitely change this! 

You can backup the contents of the Secure Folder, or simply move them out of the Secure Folder.

 

 

[ZayedKherani]

To your reply, knowing someone who has had hands on experience with developing Secure Folder, they have to provide an initial notification to enable its background services, as I stated in my previous comment. I understand its annoying, but its necessary thanks to Google's policy on android.
Moving things in and out of Secure Folder is possible and has been a possibility since the beginning.
As for backing up, ever since One UI 5, the backup feature of Secure Folder has been removed, another security feature introduced in One UI 5. It is still possible to restore from a previously made backup, and will be for the foreseeable future.
You can uninstall SF, disable it, or turn it off, or even hide it from the notification panel or settings.

[Helenna]

Thank you everyone for your suggestion.

Hi Atsirt, we are happy to see that the you found the information required.

Also I request you to please follow the below link to learn more about the Secure folder.

https://www.samsung.com/ca/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-phone-use-the-secure-folder/