Android 10 and 11 offers a privacy feature that lets you hide sensitive notification content on the lock screen, similar to how it works on the most recent version of iOS. The content stays obfuscated until you enter your passcode or use biometric authentication to unlock your device.
However, you are probably aware of the fact that not all Android devices offer the same user experience as the stock Android on Google Pixel and Android One devices, meaning that many of the phones still don’t have such privacy options for notifications.
If you happen to use the Smart Lock feature to keep your Android phone unlocked in a trusted environment, then you probably have no problems with sensitive notifications appearing on your lock screen. However, it’s a different story when you are outdoors or at work, and it’s vital to have your notifications private.
With most Android OEMs taking so much time to implement such a basic privacy feature for their custom skins, XDA Senior Member K4CZP3R is currently offering a solution to this issue with the TrustNotify app. It enables the option to hide notification content on the lock screen on Android phones that don’t currently have the feature. This guide will show you how to use it.
Step 1: Download and install TrustNotify
The TrustNotify app is officially available on the Google Play Store. It’s also free and open-source, so you don’t have to worry about your device’s security.
To get the TrustNotify app on your phone, simply search for it in the Play Store or tap this link. After that, tap the Install button to install the following app. Note that it will work only on devices running Android 9 Pie or later.
Step 2: Enable Developer options
TrustNotify needs permissions over ADB to work on your Android phone. Hence, you will have to get access to the secret Developer options menu for enabling USB Debugging. Here’s how to do it:
- First, head over to the Settings app from the app drawer or the notification shade.
- Next, scroll down to the bottom and tap the About phone option.
- Scroll down once again to the end and tap Build number seven times quickly. Confirm your device passcode or pattern if asked.
When you see the “You are now a developer!” message, it means you can now access the Developer options menu.
Bear in mind that the steps vary depending on the Android skin your phone uses. A quick Google search will help you find a way to toggle the developer options menu on your phone.
Step 3: Turn on USB Debugging
Since you now have access to Developer options, it’s easy to turn on USB Debugging. The whole process goes as follows:
- Go to the bottom of the Settings and tap System.
- Tap Advanced to expand the menu, then select Developer options.
- Scroll down to the Debugging row and tap the slider next to the USB debugging option.
- Finally, tap OK under the prompt to enable USB Debugging.
Once again, it should be noted that the following steps don’t apply to all Android devices, due to the significant variances between custom Android skins.
Step 4: Download Platform Tools on PC/laptop
Platform Tools is the software suite you require to connect to your phone and execute ADB commands from your computer. It’s an official tool from Google and available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Depending on your operating system, click one of the following links to download Platform Tools on your computer. It comes in a ZIP file, so you will need to extract it first.
For quick access, make sure to move the extracted folder to your desktop.
Step 5: Open Command Prompt or Terminal window
To get Platform Tools up and running on Windows, bring up the Start menu, type “cmd” without quotes, and press the Enter (⏎) key on your keyboard to open up a Command Prompt window.
In the window, type in “cd” (without the quotes) followed by a single space, then drag and drop the platform-tools folder from your desktop to the window. After that, hit the Enter key to change the command line directory folder.
Linux and macOS users need to open the Terminal app and follow the same instructions as mentioned above.
Step 6: Send ADB commands to your phone
Proceed to connect your Android phone to your computer with a USB data cable. Assuming you have USB Debugging enabled, you should see the “USB debugging connected” notification on your phone.
In the CMD or Terminal window, run the “adb devices” command to check if your phone is connected or not. You should see a random device code under the List of devices attached row.
To authorize the connection, check your phone for an “Allow USB debugging” prompt. Tick the box next to “Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow.
Now that your phone is connected to your PC or laptop over ADB, it’s time to run some commands to ensure that the TrustNotify app works properly. Copy and paste the following command line in your CMD/Terminal window and press the Enter key:
- adb shell pm grant xyz.k4czp3r.trustnotify android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
- ./adb shell pm grant xyz.k4czp3r.trustnotify android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS (Try this out only if the command above doesn’t work)
If the command runs successfully, you can close the Command Prompt or Terminal window on your computer and disconnect your phone.
Step 7: Enable and set up TrustNotify
Once you have the required permissions granted to your phone over ADB, launch the TrustNotify app. After that, tap Settings at the bottom and make sure that the “Current notification mode” is set to Hide only content. Additionally, toggle the slider ON next to “Service will start at boot” so that TrustNotify starts working automatically after a restart.
Finally, go back to the Summary page from the bottom bar and tap the toggle. It should say that the “Service is on.”
Step 8: Hide the TrustNotify notification
Upon enabling the service, TrustNotify pushes a persistent notification so that your phone’s built-in battery optimizer or memory management doesn’t force close the app after a while.
If you wish to clear the TrustNotify notification, tap and hold it to bring up settings for it, then tap the Turn off notifications option. Next, toggle the slider OFF next to All TrustNotify notifications and tap Apply.
Bear in mind that doing this won’t result in the TrustNotify app closing in the background.
Wrapping up
If you have followed all the steps above correctly, you won’t see the contents of notifications on the lock screen anymore. However, when your phone is unlocked with biometric authentication or Smart Lock, you will see the notification content on the lock screen.
In case you have a Pixel device, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications and disable the slider next to the Sensitive notifications option to hide notification content when locked.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
