Social media apps are a world in themselves. Currently, they have the most intriguing personas that you get attracted to without you even realizing it. They are the biggest distractions at the workplace, and most people are getting addicted to them with no fault of their own.
Compared to adults, the younger generation is much more driven by these apps. They are more tuned into technology, and even when they are not supposed to be using these apps, they usually find a workaround.
One of the tricks they use is to go for the “hide apps” feature on their smartphones. This removes the app from the main app list and even hides it from search results. So if you are trying to find out whether someone is using a certain app, you have to try other ways.
Understanding the Real Stakes of Hidden Social Media Apps
If an employee is hiding social media apps on their phone, it doesn’t always mean they are up to something shady. Sometimes it is just about keeping a clutter-free screen or limiting temptations during work hours. But in a professional setting, hiding apps can raise legitimate concerns, especially when productivity or policy compliance is on the line.
There are a few stigmas associated with hidden social media apps, and based on the past, they have grounds for that. In many cases, employees may hide them to avoid judgment from colleagues or to discreetly use apps that might be frowned upon during work hours.
For businesses, this poses a few challenges. Social media use on the job isn’t inherently bad, but hidden usage can make it harder to draw boundaries between healthy breaks and ongoing distractions. It can also open the door to issues like time theft, data leaks, or inappropriate conduct on company time.
When it comes to children, parents should be concerned with hidden social media apps because of the dangers associated with them. These dangers include cyberbullying, scams, predators, and inappropriate content, which also includes questionable UGCs made without putting any thought into them, just for the views.
The risks tied to hidden apps go beyond productivity, too. A recent report found that 63% of adults and 72% of children have faced at least one form of cyber threat online. These threats include scams, phishing attempts, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful or manipulative content. When people start hiding apps, it becomes harder to monitor these risks – and easier for them to spiral without notice.
Nowadays, popular methods of hiding apps are disguising themselves as calculators or utilities. Also, vaults and fake app clones are used to make sure that the other person doesn’t find the app. All in all, if you need to view the hidden apps, you must seek another way or a third-party app like installed app monitoring software.
1. Check Linked Devices
A simple but effective way to detect hidden social media apps on Android is by checking linked Google devices. Most people use a single email ID to create accounts on social media apps. With the one-click onboarding option, most people don’t use any other email account.
So, checking the linked apps with a Google account can give you a complete idea about the hidden social media apps on Android. As they have signed in using a Google account, you can also see further activities depending on the settings of the account. Here is how you can use this method to view installed apps.
- From the web, go to https://myaccount.google.com/security
- Login to the account if needed and scroll down to the section called “Third-party apps with account access.”
- Here you can see the apps and websites where they signed in using “Sign in with Google” or granted access to your Google data.
- Click “Manage third-party access.
- Here you can see the name of the app and what Google services are allowed on the app.
- Apart from viewing hidden installed apps, you also get the option to remove access from the app.
Using these methods, you can select each Google account-linked activity. If you notice an unfamiliar app that shouldn’t have access, that may be the hidden app that you need to further look into.
Although this method is effective, it has a few limitations that you cannot overlook. For example, it only shows device activity linked to the Google account. If a hidden app was installed using a different account, you won’t be able to view the apps. Similarly, if they have sideloaded, i.e, they have installed the social media apps manually via APK, it won’t show up here. Also, you need to have access to the account, which can be difficult.
2. View Google Play Activity
Another helpful way to detect hidden social media apps on Android is to check the Google Play Store’s activity history. Every Android is linked to a Gmail account. You can view every app that has been installed on the device.
So, even if an app is hidden from the home screen or menu, you can view it from the list of installed apps on Google Play Store. Here is how you can use this method.
- First, you need to get the credentials for the Google account. Once you have logged in, go to Google Play Store account. Click your profile button.
- From your profile button, go to “Manage apps & device.”
- Another drop-down menu will appear. From there, tap Manage and then navigate “Not installed” or “Installed” options.
- With this option, you will see a list of all apps that have been downloaded using the Google account. You will be able to view the apps that have been hidden or even deleted.
Here you can see the apps you are not familiar with or disguised apps such as calculators or utility tools. Overall, the method can be helpful, but sometimes it won’t show apps installed from third-party sources or APKs outside the Play Store. Also, it only works if the person has not deleted their app activity history.
3. Use Xnspy
Xnspy is a phone monitoring app that offers a complete overview of the digital activities, including the apps that have been installed on the phone. This installed app monitoring software offers you a list of the installed apps that are saved on the phone, regardless of the source of installation. You can see the details like the time of installation and the version that was installed.
Xnspy focuses on social media activities the most. It has the features that not only show the installed apps but also give insights into activities. From Instagram feed to disappearing messages on Snapchat, you can view every detail on the secure dashboard.
Xnspy operates discreetly, so users cannot view it. Additionally, it doesn’t affect the battery or interfere with other apps. Once installed, it provides real-time updates, so if someone has installed a social media app, it will capture it instantly. Even if you deleted it within a few minutes, you can see it on the Xnspy dashboard.
Here is how you can use the app to view the installed social media apps.
- First, you have to install Xnspy on the Android. For this, you need to access the target device once. The process gets completed within a few minutes.
- Once you have installed the app, link to the account.
- Open the Xnspy dashboard, using any browser, and log in to your account.
- From the menu, go to the installed app feature. Here you can view a complete list of all installed apps. You can also view the apps that don’t appear on the home screen.
- This feature also allows you to block the apps. If you feel that your child should not be using a particular social media app, you can block it remotely.
- To understand the usage of the apps, you can use the screen time feature. Here you can see the suspicious apps that the target user visits frequently.
When you use Xnspy, you not only get the list, but you also get insights about how they use the app and what they like. You can take action in case of misuse by using other features of the app. Xnspy can be extremely helpful for parents and employers, specifically, if they want a secure option to monitor activities without breaching privacy.
If you want to keep others safe from the dangers of the internet, you should know the apps they use. There are several methods that you can use to check the apps. However, not all methods can actually reveal the apps that have disguised themselves as others.
In such a situation, you can use the installed app monitoring software that shows every app, including disguised, hidden, or deleted. For the most accurate results, it is best to use a combination of methods and compare what you find.
That said, monitoring someone’s activity – even with good intentions – can raise concerns about privacy. The most respectful and effective approach is to get clear consent before using any monitoring tools. And always use these tools ethically and responsibly.
