(Credit: Samsung)
A new teaser suggests that Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S26 phones will include a privacy feature that can block strangers from peeking at what's displayed on the screen.
Samsung will "unveil a new Galaxy privacy layer to protect users from shoulder surfing in public spaces," the company said on Tuesday. Details are scant, but the tech appears to go beyond traditional plastic privacy screens. In accompanying video demos, the tech dims or completely cloaks the pixels as you view the phone’s screen from a side angle.
The privacy feature can also be calibrated or switched off for certain applications. “You can customize it to raise your guard with specific apps, or when entering access details for more private areas of your phone. With multiple settings for adjusting visibility, you can limit what others can see based on the level of privacy protection you need,” the company says.
The feature can also be applied to specific parts of the phone, such as pop-up notifications.
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The privacy screen appears to be based on Samsung Display’s “Flex Magic Pixel” technology, which it introduced in 2024. It works with the help of AI algorithms to dim the OLED pixels for certain parts of the screen, narrowing the viewing angle.
“It took over five years of engineering, testing and refining to get here," Samsung says. "We studied how people use their phones, what they consider private, and how security should feel in everyday life. The result is a fusion of hardware and software expertly calibrated to protect you without getting in your way."
Expect to hear more at Samsung's next Unpacked, which is reportedly happening on Feb. 25.