Samsung shows off new display tech that adds a privacy screen to apps and notifications

At Samsung’s Galaxy S26 unrecorded lawsuit connected Wednesday, the institution introduced a caller show exertion that allows users to crook connected a privateness mode and forestall alleged “shoulder surfing” connected a per-app basis. The show tech volition connection a smarter and much flexible alternate to privateness films, which are overlaid connected apical of a smartphone’s surface to bounds viewing unless you’re looking straight astatine the phone.

As Samsung pointed out, these accepted privateness films travel with trade-offs — similar dimmer screens oregon much difficulties erstwhile you’re trying to amusement idiosyncratic other thing connected your phone.

Image Credits:Samsung

Its solution is simply a caller show exertion for mobile devices that uses 2 antithetic types of pixels: constrictive pixels and wide pixels. This architecture, which Samsung dubbed Black Matrix, volition constrictive the way of airy emitted from each pixel to precisely power the airy disposable to you erstwhile the privateness mode is enabled. When it’s turned off, a widened modular pixel works with the constrictive pixels to present the airy successful each direction.

samsungImage Credits:Samsung

The Privacy Display diagnostic is besides customizable, truthful you tin acceptable definite apps oregon notifications to trigger privateness mode, portion others are viewed normally. For instance, you could acceptable your messaging app oregon banking app to ever beryllium displayed successful a backstage mode, but permission it disconnected for different apps wherever privateness is little of a concern. This flexibility besides extends to notifications, fundamentally blacking retired definite alerts erstwhile viewed from a broadside angle.

Samsung says there’s besides a mounting for “maximum privateness protection,” which intensifies the privateness effect further by bringing down the agleam areas and lifting the darker ones.

Image Credits:Samsung

The caller show volition initially beryllium disposable connected the high-end Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone, which besides includes enactment for upgraded and faster AI and a customized chipset.

The privateness surface was demoed unrecorded connected signifier during the lawsuit Wednesday, with creator Miles Franklin (of MilesAboveTech) showing the exertion successful action. In the demo, the diagnostic appeared to enactment arsenic advertised, including for smaller elements connected the surface similar circumstantial notifications.

The institution had teased the technology up of Wednesday’s event, but hadn’t yet explained however it would work. It noted that the diagnostic would enactment with circumstantial apps, protecting users erstwhile they participate PINs, patterns, oregon passcodes.