Every time you receive a notification from an Android app, you can see the app’s name and icon, together with a preview of its contents, on your Lock screen. When it comes to notifications received from WhatsApp, Messenger, Messages, and other similar apps, you also get the name of the person contacting you, as well as (part of) the text message itself. While getting this info without unlocking your Android smartphone can be convenient, others might catch a glimpse of your personal messages, so it’s important to know how to hide the content of notifications. This guide illustrates how to hide the message content in the notification bar on your Android smartphone, including how to hide notification content in WhatsApp. Let’s get started:
NOTE: This tutorial applies to Android 11, and it was created using Google Pixel 4a and Samsung Galaxy A51. Check the Android version on your smartphone or tablet for more details. The procedures are similar on most Android-powered devices, although you might encounter some minor differences, depending on your device’s manufacturer. If you’re using a Samsung smartphone, the steps are quite different, so don’t miss the dedicated chapters.
How to hide the content of all messages on stock Android
To stop any sensitive content from showing up on your Android’s Lock screen, first, open Settings and tap on Privacy.
Access Privacy Settings
The option you’re looking for is called “Notifications on lock screen,” and you can see its current setting displayed underneath - in our case, “Show all notification content.” Tap on it.
Press on Notifications on lock screen
This opens a pop-up, where the second option is called “Show sensitive content only when unlocked.” Select it if you want to hide the content of the notifications shown on your Lock screen.
How to hide message content in the Notification bar
NOTE: Keep in mind that the “Show sensitive content only when unlocked” option is only visible if your locked device is protected by a PIN, pattern, password, or another secure method.
How to hide the content of all messages on a Samsung Galaxy
If you’re running Android on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, open the Settings app, scroll down, and tap on Lock screen.
Access the Lock screen Settings
Next, tap on Notifications and not the switch next to it.
Access Notifications
To hide the message content in the Notification bar, make sure the Hide content switch is turned on. You can see how your notifications look in the preview pane at the top.
How to hide the content of messages in the Notification bar on Samsung
TIP: If you like keeping your Notification area clean, you can also get rid of the permanent notifications on Android.
How to hide notification content in WhatsApp on stock Android
What if you’re waiting for an important email or message whose content you want to see immediately? However, at the same time, you don’t want to risk anyone catching a glimpse of your private WhatsApp conversations. Well, instead of hiding the content of all messages, you can choose instead to only hide the WhatsApp message content in the Notification bar.
To begin, open Settings and tap on Apps & notifications.
Access the Apps & notifications Settings
Next, tap on WhatsApp or, if it’s not visible, press on the link underneath to see all the apps and select it from there.
Press on WhatsApp to see its settings
On the next screen, tap on Notifications.
Access Notifications
You can now see all the available notification types. To hide the content of the messages received on WhatsApp, tap on Message notifications.
Access Message notifications
Next, tap on Advanced at the bottom of the screen to reveal more options.
Press Advanced to open a dropdown menu
You can see the Lock screen section, which is set to “Show all notification content.” Tap on it.
Tap on Lock screen to change its setting
In the pop-up, select “Show sensitive content only when unlocked.”
How to hide WhatsApp message content in Notification bar
That was it. The content of WhatsApp messages you receive should be hidden from now on and not show up on the Android’s Lock screen anymore.
How to hide notification content in WhatsApp on Samsung Galaxy
You can also ensure others can’t read any of your personal WhatsApp conversations on a Samsung Galaxy device. Open Settings and access Notifications.
Access Notifications Settings
Next, press on WhatsApp from the apps shown on this screen. If it’s not visible, tap on More and select it from the list of apps.
Tap on WhatsApp
From the available notification types, tap on Message notifications to hide the content of the messages received on WhatsApp.
Access Message notifications
On the next screen, tap on Lock screen.
Press on Lock screen
Select Hide content to hide the WhatsApp message content from the Notification bar shown on the Lock screen.
How to hide notification content on WhatsApp on Samsung Galaxy
TIP: Are you getting too many push notifications from Chrome? Well, we explain in detail how to turn off Chrome notifications on Android to keep a tidy Notification area.
Did you manage to hide the content of notifications on your Android smartphone?
Hiding sensitive information from your Android’s Lock screen is always a good idea if you want to avoid any deliberate or accidental invasion of privacy. However, the settings could be slightly different on your Android device, depending on the custom user interface it uses. Did you successfully hide the content of the notifications you want to keep private? If you encounter any difficulties, let us know in the comments.
