Do you have any favorite pictures or files on a phone you don’t want others to view? On certain Android handsets, there is a built-in safe feature that allows you to encrypt and hide these private files using a pattern or PIN.
Retrieving these files can sometimes be tricky, as the exact location of the safe is hidden from view in specific phones. By mistake, you may find yourself locked out of your own personal data. If you’re wondering how to recover your files from such an inaccessible Android safe folder, follow the methods below to unlock your Android safe folder.
What Is the Android Safe Folder?
Depending on your handset model, you may find a Safe folder which can only be accessed using a PIN, pattern, or password. For example, the following visual is for an Oppo phone where the selected file is being sent to a prominently visible safe.
Note: do not confuse “file safe” with a Safe Mode feature in Android that allows you to turn on the device with third-party apps disabled.
Moving the files usually requires a file vault password or pattern. Once you enter this information, the file will immediately disappear from your main folder and can only be viewed in the hidden safe.
Phones with file safe features include Huawei, which has a “move to safe” option. Oneplus handsets have “move to Lockbox,” and Vivo has a biometric “safebox” option for files using fingerprints. Samsung phones have “Secure folders.”
If you decide to keep the safe folder really secure, it’s best to keep it disabled on the Apps screen.
You can view the safe folds on many of the latest handsets easily, but it is not always the case. Many users have complained that once moved to the safe, the files can only later be accessed via a separate file manager app. This might be due to a manufacturer omission in certain phones.
Recovering Files Sent to an Inaccessible File Safe
If you cannot access the file safe in your phone, you can by using a third party app called “Quick Shortcut Maker.”
While there are other file manager apps that also work to access a file safe, this particular app is highly recommended because it’s safe to use and works on all devices. It has many other features for discovering hidden menus that your carrier may have locked out from your view. It also helps you customize your Android menu items in “Engineer mode.”
After downloading and installing the app, navigate down to the “Files” folder and click once.
Scroll down further, and you should be able to see the safe view folders buried deep inside your phone. Depending on whether you chose to use a “pattern” or “password” to hide the files, select the option that applies to you. As shown below, the pattern safe option has been selected.
As a final step, click “Try” to unlock the safe.
You will have to enter the pattern or password used to create the safe files again. If you forget the pattern/password, there should be a help option on the menu.
The files hidden in safe have now been identified and can be easily moved to another folder.
You should also be able to change the safe password or switch to other forms of biometric access in the Settings.
Did the above steps help you resolve the issue in accessing file safe on your Android phone? If you are concerned about privacy, you may also want to hide your Android apps from snooping eyes.
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