Secure Folder
Also known as: Secure Folder Samsung, Knox Secure Folder, private folder Galaxy
Secure Folder is a Samsung feature that creates a separate, encrypted space on a Galaxy phone for private apps, photos, and files, locked behind its own PIN or biometrics. Its contents are stored on the device and count toward used storage.
- Encrypted private space powered by Samsung Knox
- Its files still use internal storage — hidden, not offloaded
- Cleanup tools can’t see inside; delete from within it
How it works
Built on Samsung Knox, Secure Folder runs a private container with its own copies of apps and a separate gallery. Files inside are encrypted and invisible to the main system — they will not show in the regular Gallery or appear over USB.
Set it up under Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder (the exact path varies slightly by One UI version). You unlock it with a separate pattern, PIN, password, or fingerprint.
Why it matters for storage
Photos and files moved into Secure Folder still live on the device and still use internal storage — they are hidden, not offloaded. A phone can look low on space partly because of media tucked away here.
Because the folder is sandboxed, ordinary cleanup tools and file managers cannot see inside it. To recover space, open Secure Folder, unlock it, and delete media from its own gallery. Samsung’s Device care can show how much storage the Secure Folder uses.