Smartphones are one of the most personal pieces of technology people own, yet they are often used in public places where privacy is limited. On buses, trains, lifts and in queues, phone screens are frequently visible to those nearby. This has made shoulder surfing — the act of viewing someone else’s screen without their consent — an increasingly common concern.
Messages, notifications, passwords and other sensitive information can be exposed simply by using a device in a crowded space, turning everyday phone use into a potential privacy risk. It is this gap between personal data and public use that Samsung is now seeking to address.
Samsung says it is preparing to introduce a new privacy feature designed specifically to address shoulder surfing on its Galaxy devices. Rather than relying on physical screen protectors or general display dimming, the company is developing an on-device system that limits what people nearby can see while allowing the user to continue using their phone normally.
Given the timing of the announcement, the feature may make it to the next Galaxy S series launch, expected to be called Galaxy S26. The company has said only that the feature will arrive on Galaxy devices “very soon”.
The forthcoming feature is intended to be flexible rather than universal. Users will be able to decide when shoulder surfing protection is applied, such as within particular apps or when entering sensitive information like passwords, PINs or authentication details. Different visibility settings will allow users to adjust how much of the screen is obscured based on the situation.
Protection can also be applied selectively. Notification pop-ups, for example, can be restricted so that message previews or personal details are not fully visible when a phone is unlocked in public.
Samsung says the technology has been in development for more than five years, involving research into how people perceive privacy and how shoulder surfing occurs in everyday phone use. The company describes the result as a combination of hardware and software that operates at a “pixel level”.
The new feature builds on Samsung’s security work, including its Knox platform, which has traditionally focused on protecting data at the device and system level. While Knox addresses security threats such as malware and unauthorised access, the upcoming update shifts attention to visual privacy.