After One UI 7 suffered a bunch of serious delays, it's nice to see that One UI 8 seems to be back to a normal schedule. And now that the first beta version of the upgrade is rolling out, we're learning about all the extra features Samsung has added — including some key upgrades for the Secure Folder.
Samsung has had a secure folder since 2017, well ahead of Apple and Android, but this year will see the company add a bunch of new features — some of which offer some parity with Android's Private Space feature. The most important is the new "kill switch" that lets you hide the secure folder from sight.
The "Hide Secure Folder" button shows up in the quick panel, and removes the Secure Folder app icon from showing up on your device. That way, it's a little harder for thieves and other snoops to access whatever you've got locked away.
Hiding the Secure Folder also stops any stored apps from working, meaning you won't get any notifications that might give the game away. This is one more way to stop apps from potentially giving the game away.
Samsung also claims that this encrypts all apps and data, though from what I can tell, Secure Folder always did this. Still, that extra peace of mind is not unwelcome.
Other Secure Folder upgrades
Another major update to Secure Folder makes it a little more like Android's Private Space feature. With One UI 8, it now means that you can store apps in your Secure Folder without keeping a copy on the rest of your phone.
You essentially hide those copied apps from your app drawer, meaning the Secure Folder is the only way to see and access them. You'd think this would have been an option from the beginning, but it's better late than never.
Biometric security has also been overhauled, with a feature that I'm actually very happy with. Rather than relying on the same fingerprints you use to unlock your phone, as was the case with One UI 7, One UI 8 now makes you register separate fingerprints for Secure Folder.
Separating the two is definitely a good idea. You may, for example, have multiple people approved to use a certain device, but want to limit who can access secure files and apps. This lets you do that. It also means that potential thieves have one more obstacle before they can get to sensitive data.
One UI 8 beta is available now, but only if you have a Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus or S25 Ultra in the U.S., U.K., Korea and Germany. There's no word on whether it will come to other devices or regions yet.
