While Android OEMs have offered the ability to hide or store files and apps in a private, hidden space for years, Google Pixel devices only recently gained this feature with the introduction of Private Space in Android 15.
Though Android 16 didn’t bring major upgrades to Private Space, one feature users have consistently requested since its debut is the ability to easily hide files within it. While installing apps into Private Space is simple, transferring files from your phone’s file manager remains a hassle. Thankfully, it looks like that’s about to change.
According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman (via Android Authority), Google is working on a new file transfer feature for Private Space. In the latest Android Canary build, Google has reportedly tweaked how Private Space behaves.
Previously, when opened in the Pixel Launcher, Private Space just showed an “Install” button at the top. However, in the new Android Canary build, this has now been replaced with a new “Add” button.
Hiding files on your Pixel is about to get a lot easier
Tapping the “Add” button opens a sub-menu that gives you the option to either “Install apps” or “Add files”. Selecting the file option opens the Files by Google app, allowing you to choose the files you want to move to Private Space.
A dialog box will let you choose whether to move or copy them. According to the report, the feature will support up to 2GB of files or 100 files per transfer.
The feature isn’t live just yet and likely won’t be included in the Android 16 QPR1 update expected alongside the Pixel 10 series launch next month. Instead, Rahman suggests it could arrive with Android 16 QPR2, which is expected to roll out sometime after QPR1’s stable release.
