When the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is unveiled next month (February 25th is the rumored date), the phone's hot new feature will probably be explained by the manufacturer. We've already pointed out that Samsung's new top-of-the-line 2026 flagship phone will have a privacy screen. This is a new tool that smartphone owners will have to combat the theft of private information on their handsets.
The new feature will protect your personal data from "shoulder surfers"
If you're looking at your phone while in an elevator, a bus, train, or subway car, some of the people around you might be staring at your phone's display from time to time. No, they aren't interested in seeing which apps you've installed, nor do they care about the wallpaper you selected. What these "shoulder surfers" are doing is looking to see if they can figure out your passcode so when they steal your phone a few minutes later, they can go through the device like a hungry Thanksgiving diner picking apart a turkey carcass.
These thieves are also looking to steal the login credentials you use to open certain apps. Once they have that info, they can access your financial apps from their own phones unless you use two-factor authentication (2FA). With 2FA, besides using your credentials to open, say, your banking app, you also have to punch in a code sent to your phone via a notification. That makes the code number being sent to you very important. The so-called shoulder surfer intently watching you tap away on your phone is also looking to see if he can see the code and somehow beat you to the punch by reading it.
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Mockup shows what the Galaxy S26 Ultra's privacy screen might look like shielding a notification. | Image credit-Ice Universe
You might be poo-pooing this because, after all, the 2FA code is a one-time code and has a short "shelf life." However, never underestimate the ability of these crooks to watch what you've been doing all along. They probably have the same app open, your login credentials already typed in, and they are waiting to steal your 2FA code by reading the notification once it hits your phone. Look, these people have nothing better to do all day except ride public transit and hone their craft.
Other phone manufacturers will probably come up with their own versions of this feature
Leaker Ice Universe, who is one of the most accurate when it comes to Samsung information, wrote a tweet explaining that the privacy screen on the Galaxy S26 Ultra will block and protect certain areas of the screen where a text message or a notification surfaces. The tweet includes a pair of photos showing how a notification or text message might look to someone trying to steal information by staring at your phone from an angle. This is just a mockup created to show how the privacy screen might work.
While the sensitive information is protected by the new security feature, the rest of the screen "stays completely normal," according to Ice Universe. This is a great idea and personally I'd love to see more manufacturers add this to their phones. On X, several replies to Ice Universe's tweet joked that in a few years we will see this feature on an iPhone and Apple will promote it as the greatest thing since, well, the iPhone itself and give it a catchy name.
While the privacy display will help users protect their personal information, it is also important that users keep an eye on their surroundings whenever they whip out their phones. These thieves are so good at blending in and staring at your phone without you noticing it, but you might be able to detect when someone is trying too hard to see what is on your screen.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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