How To: Hide Private Calls & Texts from Nosy People on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 or Other Android Phone

When it comes to your smartphone, you don't have to be a cheater to want a little privacy. I don't even like people playing Temple Run on my mobile because I don't want anyone beating the achievements I've been working on getting myself.

That's why most utilize the lock screen. Then again, your significant other, close friends, and some of your family members probably know your passcode by heart. If you let friends or family members borrow your phone, you might want to keep the saucy messages from your girlfriend or boyfriend hidden. Even if people aren't trying to snoop, it's very easy to view recent contacts and messages.

Shady Contacts is a free Android app that helps keep that sensitive information concealed, and is known to work well on the Samsung Galaxy S, S2, and S3, but should work with just about any Android phone running Honeycomb and higher.

You can use Shady Contacts to passcode-lock certain applications, which is great for kids as well as nosy girlfriends (or boyfriends). You can also use the app to hide incoming and outgoing calls and texts from the Android's stock apps.

Once you download and install the app from the Play Store, you can add the contacts that you want to hide to the list. You can also add any phone number to the list and all information sent or received from that number will be stored inside the app an nowhere else.

Of course, if you have a privacy application sitting on your home screen, it kind of defeats the purpose. So, you can hide the application icon from your phone and access it by dialing the following sequence:

***123456###

Yes, that's 3 asterisks, then 123456, and 3 pound signs.

Shady Contacts is free to download on Google Play and is a great way to keep snoopers off your back and put your mind at ease when other people borrow your phone.

How do you protect your privacy when you loan your phone to a friend? Let us know in the comments below.