Smartphones hold our most personal details. Yet we use them in some of the least private places. On buses, in lifts, or while standing in line. Screens are often open to anyone nearby. As phones learn more about our habits, worries about privacy are growing. This is how Samsung plans to shield your screen.
Samsung says it is preparing to introduce a new privacy layer designed to reduce “shoulder surfing” in public spaces. The feature aims to make it easier for users to read messages, enter passwords, or check notifications without exposing sensitive details to people around them.
The upcoming update is built around flexibility. Users will be able to choose when and where extra protection is applied. Rather than blocking the entire screen, the system allows people to shield specific apps or actions, such as logging into secure areas of the phone. Visibility levels can also be adjusted, depending on how private a moment feels.
Advanced Visual Privacy Layers
Notifications are part of the design as well. Pop-ups, which often appear at awkward times, can be limited or protected so that only the owner sees the full content. The idea is to give users control, rather than forcing one fixed privacy mode on everyone.
According to Samsung, the technology has been in development for more than five years. Engineers studied how people actually use their phones during daily routines and which moments they consider most sensitive. The result blends hardware and software, aiming to protect information without making the phone harder to use.
The move reflects a broader shift in the mobile industry. Security is no longer only about blocking hackers. It is also about protecting everyday interactions in public spaces. Samsung says the new feature builds on its existing Galaxy security systems, including Knox, which focuses on device-level protection.
By adding privacy controls at the screen level, Samsung is signalling that mobile privacy is becoming more visual and more personal. The company says the feature will arrive on Galaxy devices soon, as users continue to balance convenience with the need for discretion in an increasingly public digital life.
