Hiding embarrassing photos and videos on Android is possible thanks to Private Me. Here's how it works and some tricks to use it at its best
Protecting your personal data has become the main obsession of thousands of users, who are always looking for apps to install on their smartphones. One of them is PrivateMe which unlike some rather popular app lockers, completely erases apps, files and other content you wish to keep out of sight of prying eyes.
This "miniature" ecosystem is able to operate on cloned apps independently, offering an extra layer of privacy and "freedom" within your portable device. Some app lockers might even raise suspicion because some might wonder why you'd type a PIN to open a gallery or other files. Since PrivateMe completely deletes files from your regular operating system and isolates them in its own secure environment, it really keeps your sensitive data hidden. Here's how to quickly set up and use this useful tool.
Install PrivateMe and hide app
The first step is to download PrivateMe from the Play Store. When the app has landed on your Android, install it. PrivateMe is incredibly simple to set up. To get started, simply open the app, and tap the " +" symbol in the top right corner to add the apps you want to hide. PrivateMe - after adding a little program to your "hiding place", it will proceed to install and clone it within its system. Now delete the application from Android if you want to keep it private. You can also decide to keep both apps which would give you the ability to run two different accounts on the same app like, for example, a personal Facebook account and a professional one.
Hide Photos and Videos
If you have pictures you want to keep away from prying eyes, just tap on "Private Album" to get started. Tapping on the "+" symbol in the top right corner will open your Album gallery. From here, just choose - by simply tapping on them - the photos and videos you want to disappear from view of others and confirm the operation with a touch on the "Hide" button at the bottom of the window. The photos and videos you choose to hide completely will be transferred to PrivateMe, erasing them entirely from the Android file system. Since there's technically nothing to detect, even if you connect the device via USB to your PC or Mac, your photos and videos will remain secret.
Enabling Virtual Keys
PrivateMe, as just mentioned, is basically a mini operating system that operates within your Android system. As such, it will need its own virtual buttons to enter and exit the program whenever you want to use the phone in other tasks. To enable PrivateMe's virtual buttons, therefore, open the side navigation menu and select the "Quick Touch" option then activate the function using the toggle. The first time you set "Quick Touch" you will be automatically taken to PrivateMe settings page. Scroll down and select "Permission Manager", then tap " Display Floating Window." When finished, select "Accept " and you'll be automatically redirected to PrivateMe's main screen, which will now have a virtual button that allows you to switch between "apps" or go to the main screen without having to exit and restart the app.
Hide or Block PrivateMe
Now that the app is fully configured, it's time to block or hide it altogether. "Camouflaging" PrivateMe is by far one of the most interesting features of this tool. To enable this feature, open PrivateMe - if it wasn't already - and return to the side menu with a swipe from left to right. Tap now on "Protection for PrivateMe," and you'll be presented with two options: Cover PrivateMe to hide the app or Lock PrivateMe to lock it with a passcode. Since the first option leaves the program visible in the Applications section of the phone, we recommend you opt for the second option that will ask you to create a numeric lock in the guise of a fully functional calculator. Just type in the desired code and tap the "=" sign to proceed and confirm. After setting up this feature, typing your code into this fake calculator will give you access to PrivateMe. This app locker is not only useful for those who really have something compromising to hide, but it could also be used simply to hide personal files from view. Be careful, though, because if you happen to delete PrivateMe from your phone, all the data it hosts will also disappear.