How to hide an application on Honor 10: 5 ways (2026)

Honor 10 with shell EMUI 8.1/9.0 (Android 8.1/9.0) offers several built-in ways to hide applications from prying eyes - without root access and third-party apps. But not all of them are equally reliable: some simply remove the icon from the main screen, while others completely block access to the application without a password. In this article we will analyze 5 working methodsincluding little-known functions Huawei Mobile Servicesand explain why the standard "hiding" in the launcher settings does not protect from experienced users.

It is important to understand the difference between "remove icon" i "block access". For example, if you simply move an application to a folder Hidden applications through the screen settings, it can still be found through system search or the application manager. For real privacy, additional steps will be required - about them below.

1. Built-in Hidden Apps feature in EMUI

The fastest way is to use the standard shell tool EMUI. It does not encrypt data, but removes icons from the menu and search (provided that the user does not know where to look).

Instructions:

📱 Open Settings → Security and privacy → Hidden applications.
🔒 Enter a password or PIN code (if not configured, the system will prompt you to create one).
✅ Select applications from the list and press Done.

⚠️ Attention: Applications hidden in this way remain accessible through the "All applications" menu in the phone settings. To see them, just go to Settings → Applications → All applications and turn on the display of system processes. For complete protection, use the methods from the following sections.

2. Archiving applications (without deleting)

If you need to temporarily hide an application without deleting its data, use the archiving function. This hides the icon and pauses background activity, but preserves the cache and settings.

How to archive:

Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
Select the desired application and tap Archive.
Confirm the action. The icon will disappear from the screen, but the file .apk will remain in memory.

Method	Hide the icon	Blocks launch	Saves data	Requires a password
Hidden applications (EMUI)	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Archiving	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Secret folder (Huawei)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

🔹 Nuance: Archived applications are not updated via Google Play. To return them, go to Settings → Applications → Archived and click Restore.

3. Secret folder in Huawei Mobile Services

On Honor 10 with preinstalled Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) function is available "Secret folder" -analogue of "Safe Folder" in Samsung Knox. It creates an encrypted storage where you can transfer not only applications, but also files.

How to set up:

🔐 Open Files → Secret folder (or Settings → Security → Secret folder).
📲 Create a password (other than the screen lock!).
📥 Drag the desired applications to the folder through the menu Add.

⚠️ Attention: If you forget the password for a secret folder, restoring access to the data will impossible - even through a factory reset. Huawei does not provide unlocking tools.

Create a backup copy of important data|Remember the password (or write it down in a safe place)|Check free space (the folder takes up ~50 MB)|Disable auto-update for hidden applications-->

4. Third-party launchers with a hiding function

If standard tools EMUI is not enough, install an alternative launcher. Best options for Honor 10:

🛡️ Nova Launcher (paid version): supports hiding icons through Settings → Hiding applications.
🔍 Apex Launcher: allows you to remove applications from the search and menu.
🔒 Microsoft Launcher: integration with BitLocker for encryption (requires configuration).

🔹 How to hide in Nova Launcher:

Hold your finger on an empty space on the screen → Settings.
Select Hide applications and mark the ones you need.
Apply changes. The icons will disappear, but the applications will remain in the system.

⚠️ Attention: Launchers do not block access to applications through adb or the file manager. For complete protection, combine this method with archiving or a secret folder.

💡

Before installing a third-party launcher, check its compatibility with EMUI 8.1/9.0. Some functions (for example, gestures) may not work correctly on older versions of Android.

5. Disabling applications via ADB (for experienced)

If you need to completely block access to an application (including background processes), use ADB commands. This method requires connecting to a PC and enabling USB debugging.

Instructions:

Connect Honor 10 to the computer and enable USB debugging Settings → About phone → Build number (tap 7 times) → For developers → USB debugging.
Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and enter:

adb shell pm hide com.example.app

Replace com.example.app with the actual application package (you can find it through adb shell pm list packages | grep "keyword").

🔹 How to return the application:

adb shell pm unhide com.example.app

⚠️ Attention: Some system applications Huawei when disabled via ADB may cause shell malfunctions. Before experiments, create a backup copy via adb backup.

What happens if you disable a system application?

Disabling critical services (for example, com.huawei.android.hsf or com.huawei.systemmanager) can lead to a cycle of reboots, loss of connection or inability to log into the system. Only resetting to factory settings will help restore operation.

6. Resetting the launcher settings (if the applications are “back”)

Sometimes after updating EMUI hidden applications appear on the screen again. This is due to a launcher cache failure. To return the previous settings:

🔄 Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
🔍 Find Launcher (or Huawei Home) and select Storage → Clear cache.
📱 Restart your phone. Hidden applications should disappear.

If the problem persists, try resetting the launcher to factory settings:

Open Settings → System → Reset.
Select Resetting launcher settings (do not confuse with a full reset!).

💡

Clearing the launcher cache does not remove hidden applications from the system - it only restores their display in the menu. To permanently remove the application, use the methods from sections 2–5.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Is it possible to hide system applications (for example, "Mail" or "Calendar")?

Standard means EMUI no. They can only be disabled via Settings → Applications → Disable, but the icon will remain in the menu. To completely hide, use ADB (section 5) or third-party launchers.

Will a hidden application run in the background?

Depends on the method:

Secret folder and archiving —block background activity.
Hide via EMUI or launcher - the application continues to work (for example, instant messengers will receive notifications).

How to hide an application from Google search (if it is indexed)?

Google does not index the content of applications on the phone, but can show them in search results for the device. To exclude an application from the search:

Open Google Settings → Search → Search on device.
Disable the option Applications or add the application to exclusions.

Is it possible to hide an application so that even an experienced user cannot find it?

Yes, but a combination of methods will be required:

Archive the application (section 2).
Move it to Secret folder (section 3).
Disable via ADB (section 5).
Use the launcher with the hide function (section 4).

B In this case, the application will not appear in the menu, search or task manager, but its data will remain in the phone's memory.

Why did hidden applications appear again after the EMUI update?

Updates EMUI often reset the launcher settings and cache. To avoid this:

Before updating, write down a list of hidden applications.
After updating, repeat the hiding procedure (sections 1–4).
Use Secret folder —it is less prone to failure.

⚠️ Details of functions may change after major updates EMUI. Before updating, please check the official release notes at Huawei.

How to hide an application on Honor 10: all methods from standard to hidden