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I want an app that can hide/encrypt selected pictures and video on the external memory card without moving them to internal storage where space is at a premium. This is the problem with Keepsafe and other popular apps in this category. I have rooted my phone & am using the Xposed media scanner module to exclude a hidden directory on the memory card, and done the platform.xml workaround to make the external card writable.

I've also wanted to try the symbolic link trick by placing the files on an ext2 formatted partition on the memory card used for link2sd and then ln -sf from the internal storage, but that doesn't work either. The media scanner exclusion works, but the files themselves are still readable on the memory card. Is there any app, even a root requiring one, that can encrypt or hide the files as they are despite the stupid restrictions put in since Kitkat?

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  • If you just want to hide the file / folder, you could put a . in front of the name.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Mar 29, 2016 at 18:44
  • Already done that, still leaves the files readable when connected to a PC.
    – Rex
    Mar 29, 2016 at 18:49
  • You could try marking the folder as "hidden" in the Windows properties dialog.
    – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit
    Mar 29, 2016 at 18:51
  • Hy,maybe uncheck USB debugging and lock your phone with password
    – Kmo mastn
    Feb 19, 2019 at 4:17

3 Answers 3

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I believe SECRECY will do what you want; I haven't used it for a while, but from what I remember it encrypts files on the SD card and doesn't need root.

Note: the app is no longer available on Play Store and the link directs to XDA Forums.

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  • It's also now open source, although I don't know which repo the app is built from. I would edit my answer, but I don't have enough reputation to add more links.
    – ash
    Mar 29, 2016 at 21:17
  • It looks like it might do the trick, but it's still alpha and hasn't been updated in 18 months. User feedback says that it's unstable and one might be unable to decrypt files. Pity, because it might have been just the thing. Thanks for sharing though.
    – Rex
    Mar 30, 2016 at 0:59
  • @Rex I just installed it, and it still seems to work fine (although I don't have an actual SD card, so I have no idea if that part still works). I think most of the issues were when it was still being updated and the vault format was changing every update.
    – ash
    Mar 30, 2016 at 7:32
  • Tested this with a few files, seems like the best thing to use in the short term
    – Rex
    Mar 31, 2016 at 0:40
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by renaming a file from filename.txt to .filename.txt (add a dot "." before the name) you will hide the file. I.e. it will not show up on any file explorer, (unless it is set to show hidden files.)

If you want to hide, say movie files from appearing in your media player, or music files from appearing in your music player, or even photos from appearingin your gallery, (or any other type of file from showing in an app except a file explorer), you can change the file extention to anything else or remove it completely. I recommend just changing the dot "." to a blank space, that way you can still identify the file yourself and you wont forget the file extension in case you ever need it.

like so: from "filename.avi" to "filename avi".

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  • Yes, i've already done that by putting the files inside a folder named like that. But the files will still be readable if you connect the phone to a laptop, and I haven't come across anything that can encrypt them without moving to internal storage.
    – Rex
    Mar 30, 2016 at 1:01
  • @Rex you can connect it to a computer, right click on the folder and click properties, and set the file to hidden on a computer. this should hide it on PC as well (do this as well as renaming the file with a . before it)
    – Abraham Murciano Benzadon
    Mar 30, 2016 at 15:27
  • And it's trivially easy to make your computer still display hidden folders.
    – Rex
    Mar 30, 2016 at 16:31
  • @Rex i know you can encrypt files/folders with ES file explorer but its a bit annoying, because every time you want to open it, you have to decrypt it and when you finish using it, you have to encrypt it again by inserting a password twice. You can do this, aside from the other 2 steps mentioned previously, for maximum security
    – Abraham Murciano Benzadon
    Mar 30, 2016 at 23:09
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    I've opted to use Secrecy as Josh mentioned above, plus hiding the directory as a workaround.
    – Rex
    Mar 31, 2016 at 2:02
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Use file locker app. This is very helfull app for ur problem.. I also use this and my problem has solved. Now I can hide my SD card file very easily. Only file locker app can do this. Once try brothers...

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  • This app is 3.35 mb. Don't install any other app of same name
    – surya singh
    Oct 11, 2016 at 2:30
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    Why don't you provide the link to it on play store?
    – Rex
    Oct 11, 2016 at 2:40

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