Privacy Display could be the Galaxy S26 series' most useful upgrade

A recent teaser highlights a feature provisionally called Privacy Display, expected with the Galaxy S26 series and One UI 8.5. It blocks parts of the screen when viewed at an angle, preventing snoopers and passersby from seeing essential information. Users can customize which areas are hidden and can turn the feature off entirely.

Samsung achieves this through pixel-level light control, adjusting OLED emission so light only shines toward the user when facing the screen. As you pan left and right, the protected area — which you can set to hide notifications, 2FA codes and other sensitive items — fades to black.

Unlike a physical privacy screen protector, the feature does not reduce overall brightness or color depth. An industry analyst shared a rendering showing Privacy Display supports partial, localized protection rather than a global privacy mode. Questions remain about which models will support the feature; with production plans favoring the Ultra model, it may debut there first.

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