Samsung Ad Confirms Rumors of a Useful S26 'Privacy Display'

Samsung has all but confirmed that its upcoming Galaxy S26 will feature a built-in privacy display, releasing an ad that demonstrates a "Zero-peeking privacy" toggle capable of blacking out on-screen content for anyone peering over the user's shoulder.

The underlying technology is reportedly Samsung Display's Flex Magic Pixel OLED panel, first shown at MWC 2024, which adjusts viewing angles on a pixel-by-pixel basis -- and leaker Ice Universe has shared a video of the feature selectively hiding content in banking and messaging apps using AI. Samsung's Unpacked event is scheduled for February 25th.

Useful?

[Valgrus Thunderaxe]

Nobody is "spying on you" through your phone by looking over your shoulder. I promise.

Re: Useful?

[alantus]

Tell that to all the salarymen who buy privacy screen covers so that other people elbowing their ribs on the train every morning can't see their porn preferences. That's life in Japan.

Re:

[Powercntrl]

Nobody is "spying on you" through your phone by looking over your shoulder. I promise.

It's probably for people who like to look at NSFW content while they're on the train or standing in line.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

TIL "people watching" is not a thing.

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

It's one of the ways that they get unlock patterns and codes before stealing a phone.

Mostly though it's just that some people like privacy for their lovey dovey messages, porn, banking etc. Which they need to do in public.

Shoulder Surfing

[virtig01]

Shoulder surfing. It's a thing [proton.me].

Re:

[Mozai]

"Nobody is looking over your shoulder"

Tell that to Nicanor Briones, who was caught watching cockfights on his phone when he was at work in the legislature.
Of the North Carolina senator caught daytrading when he was in the state legislature.
Or Mike Bennett of Flordia caught looking at nude photos during a session on an abortion bill.

But you know how it goes: people think they're the main character of the story, so of course they're important enough to be under constant surveillance.

Does this also mean...

[PhantomHarlock]

...that it can mimic a lenticular stereo display? If it can do eye tracking and adjust every other column of pixels to every other eye, it might be able to do that.

Re:

[Samare]

That would actually be a killer feature! Add a second camera at the bottom of the back of the phone and you get 3D pictures and videos. And it would gently encourage people to stop making vertical videos, what's not to like?

Re:

[sabbede]

Dang, I hadn't gotten that far yet. I was still amazed by the idea of per-pixel viewing angle adjustment and wishing my TV had it.

Samsung built-in privacy display :o

[Mirnotoriety]

Will the built-in privacy display prevent the S26 sending screenshots back to the mothership every five seconds :o

We've had those for years

[93 Escort Wagon]

They're also known as "cheap displays with terrible viewing angles".

Hmmm...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Is anyone else vastly more concerned about the unspecified 'AI' that definitely-securely handles deciding what to hide than they are about someone shoulder surfing them?

Realistically the greatest risk to your phone's privacy lives behind the screen not in front of it.

Mod Parent up!

[jddj]

"Realistically the greatest risk to your phone's privacy lives behind the screen not in front of it."

FINALLY!

[gurps_npc]

When I am concerned about people spying on my phone, shoulder surfing is exactly what I think of ! (Roll eyes so hard they might fall out).

The only people that want this functionality are people cheating on their spouses. This is perfect for the guy that wants to text his mistress while his wife is in the same room.

Re:

[Powercntrl]

This is perfect for the guy that wants to text his mistress while his wife is in the same room.

According to Ashley Madison, which surprisingly is still around, the euphemism is "alternative dating experiences". *rolls eyes*

Re:

[93 Escort Wagon]

According to Ashley Madison, which surprisingly is still around, the euphemism is "alternative doinking experiences"

FTFY

Re:FINALLY!

[quonset]

Right, because there is no one else on the planet who might want this. Not attorneys, not people in the political realm, not diplomats, not corporate people. Nope, only cheaters would want this.

Re:

[sabbede]

Besides, an aggrieved wife is going to be curious as to why her husband keeps turning the privacy on.

Re:

[excelsior_gr]

Not attorneys, not people in the political realm, not diplomats, not corporate people. Nope, only cheaters would want this.

Uhh.... yes?

Re:

[sabbede]

Ever have an MFA code sent to your phone? I've already assumed you aren't a lawyer, doctor, investment banker, or anyone else who might have sensitive information they need to look at. Or the sort of person who likes to look at pornography while on the bus. Or the sort of person who rides a bus, subway, or other crowded form of mass transit.

Re:

[ambrandt12]

(On the MFA angle... just a question: has anyone else gotten MFA codes lately from sites that they don't have an account on? I've gotten AOL, Telegram, Netflix (message was in Spanish), apparently I added my number to Paypal successfully (don't have PayPal). Is this some new scam, or did someone mis-type their phone number legit?)

On the article, it's a cool idea, but don't see why it needs AI selectively hiding stuff... couldn't it just use the front camera to face track your recognized face and adjust t

Re:

[sabbede]

It could be that it doesn't look that great when it's adjusting those angles, so instead of making it an always on thing, you can have "AI" selectively hide bits.

As for the messages you're getting... I'd assume scam. Always assume scam. How are you being phished? I don't know, but don't take that chance. Otherwise, someone would have had to enter their number wrong the same way over and over again. That seems unlikely. Much less likely than "mystery scam".

Unless your phone number is ###-867-530