How Samsung S26 Ultra's Privacy Display actually works
What's the story
Samsung is upping the ante on security with its latest flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone comes with a unique feature called Privacy Display, which is designed to keep prying eyes away from your screen. This hardware-based innovation works at the pixel level of the display and uses advanced technology from Samsung Display to control light dispersion for enhanced privacy.
Functionality
How does the Privacy Display work?
The S26 Ultra's OLED display uses two types of pixels: wide pixels that emit light broadly for normal wide-angle viewing, and narrow pixels that direct light mainly straight ahead. When Privacy Display is off, both work together to deliver a standard OLED experience with full viewing angles. When the feature is turned on, Samsung suppresses the wide pixels and relies mostly on the narrow ones, narrowing the viewing angle so content remains clear head-on but appears dark from the sides.
User control
You can customize when the feature activates
Privacy Display also offers customization options for users. You can set it to activate when using certain apps. There are two modes: Maximum Privacy Protection which dims the entire screen from all angles and Partial Screen Privacy which only hides the notification shade. This way you can preview your messages without others seeing the message pop-ups when they arrive.
Testing results
The feature worked really well in early tests
The Privacy Display feature was tested at Galaxy Unpacked event, where it worked as advertised. The screen dimmed so much that it became unreadable from a side angle, but the user experience remained unchanged. However, Samsung has not yet confirmed if or when this feature will be available on other devices in its lineup.
Additional security
Other privacy features in Galaxy S26 series
The Galaxy S26 series also comes with other privacy features, powered by Knox, Samsung's secure element. These include Knox Vault for protecting personal data and biometric information; Call Screening for identifying unknown callers; Privacy Alerts for detecting unauthorized app data access; and Private Album, a lockable gallery for hiding photos. The new AI features are also protected by the Personal Data Engine (PDE), which encrypts personal information and stores it in the Knox Vault.