Samsung says rumored Galaxy S26 Ultra security feature is coming soon
A privacy shield for Galaxy phones will soon be unveiled according to an announcement from Samsung.
Earlier this month we told you that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to be carrying a feature that will prevent bystanders from viewing your phone's display to figure out PINs, passwords, and other credentials that might allow them to break into your accounts. This so-called "privacy display" hides the content on the phone screen so they cannot be viewed from any angle.
Samsung announces a new level of privacy for your Galaxy phone
Today, Samsung has announced that it will soon unveil what it calls "a new layer of privacy to shield your phone from shoulder surfing wherever you go." "Shoulder surfing" is a great term to use for those who try to view the content on your screen while you're using your phone on an elevator, in a bus, or while waiting on a line. Samsung points out that this new layer of privacy can be customized to protect your phone from spying eyes while viewing certain apps. It also prevents these same eyes from viewing the process you use to unlock your device. This all sounds very much like the rumored privacy display.
If you still don’t have a clear idea of what the private screen on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is, just watch this video. Once you do, you’ll immediately understand why this is easily the most marketable feature of the S26 Ultra. pic.twitter.com/93uTzFAR5Y
— Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) January 15, 2026
The customization will also allow users to decide whether to shield notification pop-ups. Instead of completely covering everything on your screen, you can fine-tune the protection or disable it completely. Samsung has spent five years engineering, testing, and refining the shield and did extensive studies to learn how people use their phones, which information on the screen users consider to be private, and how to implement this protection in everyday life. As Samsung says, "The result is a fusion of hardware and software expertly calibrated to protect you without getting in your way."
This is the latest in a series of innovations designed to protect the data belonging to Galaxy smartphone users
Samsung calls this the latest in a series of innovations from the company designed to keep Galaxy smartphone users safe. Actually, I'd argue that the main focus is on keeping Galaxy users' data safe. For example, Samsung Knox keeps your operating system safe by blocking malware from changing a core system file. The Knox Vault is a separate chip with a processor and memory and is apart from the phone's CPU and Android OS.
The Vault holds sensitive info including fingerprints, facial recognition data, Samsung Pay PINs, and blockchain private keys. If the Vault detects tampering or security breaches, it will wipe all of the sensitive data preventing an attacker from stealing data, login credentials, and more. Even if someone were able to take control of your phone's Android OS, they could not get into the Vault since biometrics wouldn't work and there is no way to open the Vault without using biometrics.
The privacy screen will be a big differentiator
Samsung says, "This is privacy you can see and security you can feel – and it’s coming to Galaxy very soon." So far, all indications are that the privacy screen will be limited to the top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra. That's because the privacy screen relies on the Flex Magic Pixel OLED display, which is expected to be used only on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Thus, Samsung will use the privacy screen as a differentiator giving consumers a reason to shell out the additional money to purchase the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Would you want a privacy screen on your phone?
This is going to be a huge feature that consumers are going to love. Even on bright, sunny days, the content on the screen will disappear when you try to view it from the side. As long as smartphone buyers understand what this does for them, the privacy screen should be considered a huge decision maker, and you can expect other manufacturers to quickly play catch up. Finally, you'll be able to use your phone without fear even when surrounded by people you don't know.
Follow us on Google News
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: