Ever found yourself on public transport, phone in hand, and caught someone peeking at your screen? It’s a common, irritating problem. Many people try to solve this with physical privacy films. These films block side views, keeping your information safe. But they can make your screen dimmer and less clear for you too.
What if your phone could guard its own secrets, without needing an extra film? It seems Samsung has figured out a clever solution. They’ve developed a feature that works directly on the screen, using software. This means you won’t need any sticky screen protectors. Plus, you can turn this privacy feature on or off whenever you like.
This innovative function appeared in the code of the upcoming One UI 8.5 software. It’s called ‘Privacy Display’. The code describes it as a way to “limit screen visibility from side angles.” This is designed to protect your personal privacy when you’re in public places.
Recently, an X user named Arch shared screenshots that show how Samsung’s Privacy Display works. Users will be able to turn it on with a simple toggle. There’s also an ‘Auto Privacy’ mode. This smart setting will turn the feature on automatically when it senses you’re in a public area. You can even set a schedule for when the feature should activate or deactivate.
What Privacy Display Can Do
- It can blur specific parts of your screen, like incoming notifications or picture-in-picture windows.
- The feature will protect personal photos stored in your gallery, especially those marked as private.
- It shields sensitive input, like your PIN, passwords, and unlock patterns, from prying eyes.
- There’s a ‘Maximum Privacy’ mode. This setting will drastically lower your screen’s brightness. This makes it extremely difficult for anyone standing nearby to see your content.
Arch also mentioned that the next premium flagship from Samsung will get this feature first. We’re talking about the Galaxy S26 Ultra, expected to launch in early 2026. This phone will have the necessary hardware to support Privacy Display. After that, several other high-end smartphones will receive the feature. They will get it through a software update to One UI 8.5.
