Secure Folder
Set up protected media, use biometric unlock, move and restore items, hide the entry point, and recover a forgotten PIN.
Secure Folder limits casual access to selected local media on a shared device. It is an app-level access-control feature, not a replacement for Android device encryption.
Initial setup
The first visit requires:
- A four-digit PIN
- A non-empty recovery question
- A non-empty recovery answer
The PIN and normalized recovery answer are stored as salted hashes. Choose an answer you can reproduce later; capitalization and surrounding spaces are normalized during verification.
Unlock and biometrics
Long-press or double-tap the top-bar title in Folders, Tree, or Library mode to open the Secure Folder PIN gate. In Tree mode, this also works inside a folder. A single tap still switches the app theme. These shortcuts are available on the normal title bar, not while searching or selecting items.
After setup, enter the PIN to unlock. Biometric authentication can be enabled when Android reports a supported enrolled method. Android handles the biometric prompt; mpvRx does not receive biometric data.
When biometric unlock is enabled and available, opening Secure Folder shows the system authentication prompt first, without opening the PIN keyboard. Successful authentication opens the folder directly. Cancelling the prompt or an authentication error reveals the PIN entry and automatically opens its keyboard, with the biometric retry button below. If biometrics are disabled or unavailable, PIN entry appears immediately.
Move media into Secure Folder
Select individual media or one or more folders in the local browser, then choose the Secure Folder action. Folder moves resolve all contained videos before processing.
The result reports successful and failed item counts. A partial result means some files moved while others remained, commonly because their storage providers or permissions differ.
Restore or delete
Inside Secure Folder, select items to restore them to normal storage or delete them. Confirmation prompts can be disabled separately for move, restore, delete, and hiding the entry point.
Review the selected count before destructive actions. Deleting from Secure Folder removes the underlying media; it is not merely removed from the protected index.
Hide the entry point
The Secure Folder row can be hidden from Settings after confirmation. The title long-press and double-tap shortcuts remain available when this row is hidden. Hidden entry does not encrypt files or remove the need for a PIN; it only reduces casual discoverability.
Forgot PIN
The recovery flow verifies the stored security answer before allowing a replacement PIN. The existing PIN remains valid until the new PIN is successfully saved, so abandoning recovery cannot leave the folder open for a new setup.