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how to remove apps from secure folder

To remove apps from Secure Folder on a Samsung Galaxy phone, you usually just open Secure Folder, long‑press the app, and choose Uninstall or Remove ; this only affects the copy inside Secure Folder, not the main app on your phone in most cases. Some preinstalled Samsung apps (like Gallery or Samsung Notes) cannot be removed, but they can often be hidden instead.

What Secure Folder Actually Does

Secure Folder creates a separate, encrypted space where it installs a second instance of apps and stores their data, so removing an app there normally does not touch the original app outside. This is why removal is labeled as Uninstall even though it only affects the secure copy.

Step‑by‑step: Remove an app

On most recent Galaxy devices (One UI 3 and later):

  1. Open Secure Folder from your app drawer or quick panel.
  2. Unlock it with your PIN, pattern, password, or biometric.
  3. Press and hold the app icon you want to remove.
  4. Tap Uninstall (or Remove on some models).
  5. Confirm with OK.

This deletes the secure instance of the app and its data inside Secure Folder only; the normal app usually remains installed on your phone.

If the app won’t remove

Some system or default apps in Secure Folder cannot be fully uninstalled, but you have a couple of options:

  • Hide the app inside Secure Folder
    • Long‑press the app icon.
    • Tap Select (if shown), then choose Hide to keep it from the Secure Folder home screen.
  • Disable instead of uninstall (if the option appears)
    • Long‑press the app and choose Disable to stop it from running in that environment.

Samsung’s own support and community confirm that certain apps (for example, Samsung Notes) are simply not removable from Secure Folder, only hideable.

Removing files instead of apps

If you only want to move files (photos, videos, documents) out of Secure Folder but keep the app:

  1. Open Secure Folder , then open My Files or Gallery inside it.
  2. Long‑press the items you want to move.
  3. Tap More (⋮) > Move out of Secure Folder.

The selected files will reappear in your normal storage or gallery outside Secure Folder.

Nuclear option: Remove Secure Folder

If you want to remove everything in Secure Folder (including the apps):

  1. Go to Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder.
  2. Tap More settings > Uninstall.
  3. Optionally enable Move media files out of Secure Folder if you want to keep your photos/videos.
  4. Confirm Uninstall.

This deletes Secure Folder and the secure copies of apps and their data, but does not usually uninstall your normal apps from the main phone environment.

SEO notes (meta description suggestion):
Learn how to remove apps from Secure Folder on Samsung phones, including step‑by‑step uninstall instructions, what happens to the main app, and what to do when default apps can’t be removed.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.