Samsung’s skinned version of Android, TouchWiz, has had many perks built in to the system. While most of them might seem gimmicky, there are a few that might be unusually helpful. Today, we would like to highlight one called Private Mode that might have been, ironically, been hiding right under your nose.
What is Private Mode
Enabled on modern Samsung Galaxy devices (tested to work only on the Galaxy S5 and S6, your mileage may vary), this feature is available through TouchWiz exclusively, as of now. It basically allows you to hand over your phone to another user, and letting you have peace of mind, knowing that you critical data is out of their reach. This data includes things like your images, videos, voice recordings and other such files. This data can then only be seen once Private Mode is enabled. Keep in mind, however, that third-party apps can still access that data. Private mode also conveniently puts up a passcode protection that you must enter before entering.
How to Enable
- Swipe down on the status bar with two fingers
- Tap the private mode icon
- Tap next and enter your pin code. We recommend you enter a pin that is different from the one that you use to unlock your phone(if you do use one).
- Tap continue and thats it, you’ve entered private mode
Tap the private mode icon by swiping down with two fingers as you did before to exit Private Mode. Whenever you hand over your phone to someone, make sure you always exit Private Mode before-hand.
Conclusion
While Samsung’s Private Mode doesn’t stop apps from accessing user data, it is certainly a step in the right direction – stopping any unwanted snooping into your data. We are sure youre going to think if this feature as a boon, rather than a bane.
