How to hide apps on Android. Android devices come with a built-in app manager that lets you hide, uninstall, or disable apps. However, if you want to hide an app completely and prevent it from appearing in the app manager, you can use a hidden system folder technique. First, locate the app's installation directory on your Android device. Next, create a new subdirectory within that directory called "system." Finally, copy the app's .apk file (the application package) into that system folder.