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Your Galaxy S26 Ultra might actually read the room and hide its display if necessary

Fresh leak shows how the upcoming Ultra’s automatic privacy display could actually function.

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By Tsveta Ermenkova

Published: Oct 03, 2025, 5:16 AM

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A photo of a hand holding the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Galaxy S25 Ultra. | Image credit – PhoneArena

Earlier leaks suggested that Samsung might add a brand-new privacy-focused display to the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra, and now we are getting a better look at how it could actually work.

How Samsung’s Privacy Display might function

According to the latest info, Samsung is working on an integrated solution that can dim the screen or hide its contents in certain situations. The feature, which may be branded as Privacy Display, looks to be baked directly into the phone and can be turned on or off, with adjustable intensity levels.

More interestingly, Privacy Display might also work automatically. A leaked UI screenshot shows settings that allow it to trigger in public spots like elevators, buses, trains, supermarket lines, and other crowded areas.

The next S26 Ultra will have a privacy feature that keeps people from peeking at your screen. pic.twitter.com/tFcgeFpCqG
— Ach (@achultra) October 2, 2025

On top of that, users could pick what stays visible while the display is dimmed. Right now, the options include keeping lock screen security methods (PIN, password, or pattern) accessible, hiding certain photos, and even filtering notifications or picture-in-picture windows when the privacy layer is active.

Of course, the interface may still evolve before the official release of One UI 8.5, which is expected to happen with the S26 Ultra launch next year.

Samsung’s move could matter

Privacy is a huge deal these days, and if Samsung delivers this as a built-in feature, it could give the S26 Ultra a big marketing edge. Sure, you can already buy third-party privacy screen protectors, but having this level of protection integrated into the phone feels more polished and premium.

And yeah, it is also the type of feature that might seem small or easy to overlook at first, but in reality, it could play a key role in giving the Galaxy S26 Ultra an edge over its competitors.

Samsung might make Privacy Display trigger automatically in public spots (like trains or elevators). Would you want that?

Yes, sounds super useful.

55%

Only if I can fully control it.

37.5%

No, too invasive.

7.5%

The catch: screen privacy vs data privacy

There is one big question hanging over this: how will the phone know you are in a “crowded public place”? The idea of automatically dimming the display when you are, say, on the subway or in line at the store is appealing. I mean, nobody wants strangers peeking at their messages, right?

But to make that work, the phone would likely need to analyze your surroundings using sensors or location data – and that is where things could get tricky. You could end up giving up one type of privacy (sharing or processing location data) just to gain another (hiding your screen).

For Samsung to make this a true selling point, it would need to reassure users that all of this sensitive detection is done directly on the device, with no data leaving the phone. Otherwise, a feature designed to keep your phone private might ironically spark more privacy concerns.

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Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.

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