To clean up Samsung Secure Folder, open it and empty its own Gallery trash, uninstall duplicate apps installed only inside it, and delete old media you no longer need isolated. If you want to go further, you can also remove individual apps from Secure Folder or turn the whole feature off — both are covered below. Secure Folder is an encrypted, separate space on Galaxy phones with its own apps, files, and trash, so it quietly double-stores data your main file manager never shows.

TL;DR

  • Secure Folder is a separate protected space with its own apps, files, and trash.
  • Cleaning your main Gallery does not clean Secure Folder; it keeps its own copies.
  • Start by emptying Secure Folder's Gallery trash and removing duplicate apps inside it.
  • Files moved into Secure Folder can exist as separate copies from main storage.
  • It is the fastest win when other cleanup passes don't explain the missing space.

Why does Samsung Secure Folder use so much storage?

Samsung Secure Folder is an encrypted container that behaves like a second phone living inside your Galaxy device. Because it is isolated, its weight comes from separate app installs that only exist inside the secure environment, duplicate photo and video copies, a media trash bin that holds deleted items independently, and files you moved there long ago and forgot. Each of these is stored on top of your regular storage, which is why the device can feel fuller than your main file manager or Gallery suggests.

How do I clean up Samsung Secure Folder? (step by step)

Work inside Secure Folder itself, since its contents are invisible to the main system:

  1. Open Secure Folder and unlock it.
  2. Open the Gallery app inside Secure Folder, then tap menu › Trash and empty it.
  3. Review apps installed only inside Secure Folder and uninstall the ones you no longer use.
  4. Delete old photos, videos, and documents that no longer need to stay isolated.
  5. To check the main side too, open Settings › Apps › Secure Folder › Storage.

Treat Secure Folder as a second device, not just one hidden folder, so you clean its own Gallery, apps, and trash separately from the main phone.

How do I remove apps from Secure Folder?

Apps inside Secure Folder are separate installs from the same apps on your main screen, so they take their own storage. To remove one:

  1. Open Secure Folder and unlock it.
  2. Press and hold the app's icon.
  3. Tap Uninstall (for apps you added) or Disable (for built-in ones).

Removing an app here does not touch the copy on your main phone, and it frees the storage that app used inside the secure space. If you just want the app gone from Secure Folder but kept on your phone, this is the safe way to do it.

How do I delete or turn off Secure Folder entirely?

If you no longer use Secure Folder at all, you can remove the whole container:

  1. Open Settings › Security and privacy › Secure Folder (older phones: Settings › Biometrics and security › Secure Folder).
  2. Tap More options (⋮) › Uninstall.
  3. Choose whether to back up media files first — if you tick this, photos and files move to your main storage; if you don't, everything inside is permanently deleted.
  4. Confirm.

This is the one destructive step in this guide. Anything inside Secure Folder that isn't backed up — apps, photos, notes, files — is gone for good once you uninstall, so use the "back up media files" option unless you're certain the contents are disposable.

Cleaning your main Gallery does not free Secure Folder storage because Secure Folder keeps its own independent copies. When you move a photo into Secure Folder, it is stored separately, so deleting the main version leaves the secure copy intact. The secure environment also has its own trash that can still hold "deleted" media, and secure apps regenerate their own local data. That separation is exactly what makes this storage feel invisible during a normal cleanup.

Is it safe to delete from Samsung Secure Folder?

Yes, deleting from Secure Folder is safe as long as you understand it is a one-way move for items that exist only there. Emptying the Secure Folder Gallery trash and uninstalling unused secure apps is low-risk. Be careful with files that live only inside Secure Folder: once you delete them and empty the secure trash, they are gone, so back up anything irreplaceable first. Items that are duplicates of media already in your main Gallery are safe to remove.

When does Secure Folder cleanup give the fastest win?

Secure Folder cleanup is the fastest win when your storage numbers still feel wrong after other passes. It is especially useful when the device is Samsung-specific and main storage seems inexplicably full, when you know Secure Folder holds old media or duplicated apps, or when no other cleanup explained the missing space. If Secure Folder is only one part of the mess, return to broader Galaxy triage through the clean up phone storage hub.

Related: the best Android cleaner apps · what actually fills up phone storage in 2026

FAQ

No. Secure Folder keeps its own separate copies of apps, media, and trash. You must open Secure Folder and clean its contents directly to reclaim that storage.

Is it safe to delete files from Samsung Secure Folder?

Yes, as long as you back up anything irreplaceable first. Files that exist only inside Secure Folder are permanently removed once deleted and the secure trash is emptied.

Secure Folder, duplicate app installs, and a separate hidden trash can hold gigabytes that the main file manager does not show. Checking Secure Folder often explains the missing space.

Where is the trash inside Samsung Secure Folder?

Open the Gallery app inside Secure Folder, tap the menu, and choose Trash. This bin is separate from your main Gallery trash and must be emptied on its own.

How do I remove Secure Folder from my Samsung phone?

Go to Settings › Security and privacy › Secure Folder › More options (⋮) › Uninstall. You'll be asked whether to back up the media inside first — tick it to move photos and files to your main storage, or skip it to delete everything in the folder. Uninstalling removes the whole secure space and reclaims its storage.

If the whole device is still full, work through what to delete first on a full Samsung phone, the Samsung Galaxy storage full cleanup guide, and why Samsung Gallery uses so much data. To find duplicate photos and large files across the phone automatically, try the Cleanor app.