Your lock screen is a bulletin board that anyone can read. Every message preview, two-factor code, and email snippet that pops up on it is visible to whoever happens to glance at your phone lying on the table. The good news: both iPhone and Android let you hide the *contents* of notifications while still showing you that something arrived. Here is exactly how to set it up.
What a notification preview is
On iPhone, Apple calls the message text inside a notification a "preview". On Android, the same thing is usually called "sensitive content". The setting you are looking for controls whether the text — from Messages and Mail, invitation details from Calendar, verification codes — shows while the phone is locked. The app name, the sender icon, and the fact that something arrived stay visible. Only the private content gets hidden.
Hide previews on iPhone (all apps at once)
- Open **Settings** and tap **Notifications**.
- Near the top, tap **Show Previews**.
- Choose **When Unlocked** or **Never**.
What each option does:
- **Always:** the text is visible on the lock screen to anyone who can see the phone. This is the default on most iPhones.
- **When Unlocked:** content stays hidden until Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode unlocks the device. On Face ID iPhones, glancing at the phone reveals the previews, which makes this the best middle ground for most people.
- **Never:** content is hidden even when the phone is unlocked. You open the app to read anything.
For most people **When Unlocked** is the sweet spot: the lock screen stays private, and your own glance reveals everything. Note that on devices with Face ID, "show previews when unlocked" is the default.
Hide previews for just one app on iPhone
Maybe only Messages, WhatsApp, or your banking app needs hiding while everything else can show freely. iOS lets each app override the global setting:
- Go to **Settings → Notifications** and scroll down to the app list.
- Tap the app (for example **Messages**).
- Tap **Show Previews** and choose **When Unlocked** or **Never**.
The per-app choice wins over the global one, so you can keep Calendar previews on while Messages stays hidden. Repeat for every app you want to restrict.
Hide notification content on Android (Pixel and stock-style phones)
- Open **Settings** and tap **Notifications**.
- Tap **Notifications on lock screen**.
- Turn **off** the **Show sensitive content** toggle.
From then on, the lock screen shows which apps have notifications, but not their titles or content. On Pixel phones the hidden content is revealed after a successful face unlock — the same feel as the iPhone's "When Unlocked" option.
Also worth knowing: newer Android versions automatically hide OTP (one-time passcode) notifications on the lock screen even when sensitive content is otherwise shown, because those codes are the keys to your accounts.
Hide content on Samsung Galaxy
- Open **Settings** and tap **Notifications**.
- Tap **Lock screen notifications** and select **Hide content**. On newer One UI versions the same switch appears as **Hide content while locked**.
- If you see a **Show content when unlocked** switch, turn it off too — otherwise notification details appear while the phone is unlocked but the lock screen is still displayed.
Your options are **Show content**, **Hide content**, and **Do not show notifications**. Choose **Hide content**: you still get told something arrived, just not what it says.
Check your messaging app's own switch
Some messaging apps override the system setting with their own. In Google Messages:
- Open **Messages**, tap your **profile icon**, then **Messages settings**.
- Tap **Notifications → Show or hide content when locked**.
- Choose **Hide when locked**.
Audit WhatsApp, Telegram, and your other chat apps the same way — most of them default to showing full message text on the lock screen. (On iPhone, the per-app **Show Previews** toggle covers these; on Android, check each app's own notification settings.)
Test that it actually works
- Lock your phone and set it on a table.
- From a second device, send yourself a message (or ask someone nearby to send one).
- Look at the lock screen without unlocking. You should see the app name and sender, with the message text hidden or replaced by a generic line.
If the content still shows, work through the troubleshooting list below.
Troubleshooting
**Some apps still show the text.**
The app has its own preview setting that overrides the system one (Google Messages is a common example). Change it inside the app itself.
**Everything disappeared from the lock screen.**
You picked the nuclear option instead of the privacy one. On iPhone choose **When Unlocked** rather than **Never**; on Android/Samsung pick **Hide content**, not **Do not show notifications**.
**One-time passcodes are still visible on an older Android phone.**
Automatic OTP hiding arrived in newer Android versions. On older phones the manual "hide sensitive content" toggle is your fix.
**My banking app shows content even though everything else is hidden.**
Some apps mark their notifications as not sensitive, or simply do not honor the flag. Use the app's own settings, or the per-app **Show Previews** toggle on iPhone.
**I cannot find "Show Previews" on my iPhone.**
It sits under **Settings → Notifications**, near the top of the screen — not inside any single app's page.
FAQ
**Does hiding previews stop the notification sound or vibration?**
No. Alerts, sounds, badges, and vibration work exactly as before. Only the visible text changes.
**Do I still see who the message is from?**
Usually yes: the app name and sender stay visible while the message body is hidden. A few apps hide the sender too.
**Does this affect the Notification Center when the phone is unlocked?**
On iPhone, choosing **Never** hides previews there too, even after unlocking. **When Unlocked** shows them normally once you unlock.
**Will this hide notifications from my smartwatch?**
No. Your watch has its own notification rules — check the watch app on your phone separately.
Limitations
- Hiding previews is privacy, not security. It keeps shoulder-surfers out, but it does nothing if someone unlocks your phone.
- Previews can still leak through smart replies, a voice assistant reading notifications aloud, or always-on-display summaries — check those settings too.
- Some apps simply ignore the system flag and always show content. When that happens, the app's own settings are the only lever.
- Menu names shift between updates. Samsung in particular renames these screens between One UI versions, so the labels above may look slightly different on your phone.
Keep customizing
Pair a private lock screen with alerts that do not need your eyes:
- How to Make Your Phone Flash When It Rings — add a silent visual alert next to your now-private lock screen.
- How to Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone and Android — stop spam before it even reaches the lock screen.
- Set Different Notification Sounds for Apps on Android — hear which app pinged without reading a word.