No More Peeking: Samsung Tips Built-In Privacy Screen for Galaxy S26 Phones

Samsung is teasing its upcoming Galaxy S26 phones will boast a privacy feature that can block strangers from peeking at what’s displayed over the screen.

On Tuesday, the company announced it’s going to “unveil a new Galaxy privacy layer to protect users from shoulder surfing in public spaces.” Although Samsung kept details under wraps, the tech appears to go beyond traditional plastic privacy screen protectors.

The company’s announcement contains a few videos that demo the feature in action. As you can see in the clip below, the privacy tech can dim and even completely cloak 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 same feature can also be applied to specific parts of the phone, such as pop-up notifications. 

The feature 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. 

In the announcement, Samsung added: “It took over five years of engineering, testing and refining to get here. 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 more details soon. Samsung is rumored to be preparing an event on Feb. 25th to announce the next-generation Galaxy phones. Stay tuned for our coverage.

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

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Experience

I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.

Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

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