How to Set Up and Use Private Space in Android

The Need for Device-Level App Isolation on Modern Smartphones

Smartphones contain our most confidential data: mobile banking portals, cryptographic wallets, two-factor authenticator apps, confidential business documents, and private photo archives. While fingerprint readers and biometric lock screens secure the device from external strangers, they do not protect your privacy when handing your unlocked phone to a friend to view a holiday photograph, lending it to a colleague during a presentation, or letting a family member make a phone call.

Historically, keeping sensitive applications private required downloading dubious third-party “app locker” tools from the Play Store—utilities that frequently leak telemetry, drain background battery, and break when OS updates roll out. With Android 15, Google introduced Private Space, an operating-system-level sandbox that provides a separate, biometric-locked profile directly within your primary app drawer.

How Private Space Works Under the Hood

Private Space leverages Android’s enterprise multi-user profile architecture. When you configure Private Space, Android creates a distinct user space with dedicated encryption keys:

• Independent Account State: You can sign in with a secondary Google Account inside Private Space. This prevents search queries, browsing history, and cloud photo backups in the private space from syncing with your public profiles.
• Notification Suppression: When Private Space is locked, notifications from contained apps (such as WhatsApp, banking alerts, or confidential emails) are completely suppressed from the lock screen, notification shade, and status bar.
• Camouflage Capabilities: You can configure Private Space to become entirely invisible in your app drawer, revealing itself only when you type a secret phrase into the Android search bar.
• Process Suspension: When locked, background processes running inside Private Space are paused, preserving battery life and RAM.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Setting Up Private Space

To enable Private Space on a compatible device running Android 15 (such as Google Pixel or partner devices running updated Android builds):

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Scroll down and tap Security & privacy.
3. Under the “Privacy” heading, tap Private space.
4. Tap Set up. The system will prompt you to authenticate using your device PIN, pattern, or fingerprint.
5. Choose an account strategy: Google recommends setting up a dedicated secondary Google Account for Private Space to maximise privacy and keep downloads separate from your main account. You can tap Set up account or choose Skip to use your existing credentials.
6. Configure a dedicated lock: By default, Private Space can unlock using your primary phone screen lock. For genuine security, select Choose a new lock and assign a unique PIN or pattern distinct from your main lock screen.
7. Enable Fingerprint or Face Unlock for rapid biometric authentication.
8. Tap Done.

How to Install and Move Apps into Private Space

Once activated, access Private Space by swiping up to your app drawer and scrolling to the very bottom. You will see a dedicated Private container with a lock icon.

1. Tap the Private bar and authenticate with your fingerprint or dedicated PIN.
2. The container will expand, revealing the apps currently housed within the secure sandbox.
3. To install new apps, tap Install apps within Private Space to launch a private Google Play Store instance. Apps downloaded here exist exclusively within the private sandbox.
4. To move existing apps: drag an app icon from your primary app drawer and drop it into the unlocked Private Space container. Android will prompt you to confirm the transfer.

How to Hide Private Space Completely

If you want to prevent anyone from even knowing you have Private Space configured on your phone:

1. Open Settings > Security & privacy > Private space.
2. Tap Hide private space when locked.
3. The container at the bottom of your app drawer will vanish completely when locked.
4. To reveal it, tap the search bar at the top of your app drawer, type your secret keyword or phrase, and tap the search icon. Private Space will appear, prompting for your biometric verification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to Private Space if I connect my phone to a PC via USB?

When Private Space is locked, its files and directories are completely inaccessible through MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) over a USB cable. Photos and files inside the sandbox will not appear in Windows File Explorer or Mac file transfer utilities.

Can apps inside Private Space communicate with my regular apps?

No. Android enforces strict cross-profile boundaries. An app inside Private Space cannot read the clipboard, local storage, or contacts of apps in your main profile unless you explicitly share data through the Android share sheet.