How to Hide Audio Files in Android Music Player Apps
In a world dominated by music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music, there are still many of us who prefer to have our music offline. Whether it's rare records or personal recordings, having a music player app on our Android devices allows us to enjoy our favorite songs anytime, anywhere. However, one major issue is that these music player apps tend to scan all audio files on our smartphones, including calls recorded, and display them in our music library. This can be frustrating and annoying, but fortunately, there are ways to hide certain types of audio files from appearing in your music player app. In this article, we will explore three simple methods to accomplish this.
1. Hide Media Files
Audio files are just a type of media file, and there are ways to hide media files stored inside a folder on your Android device's internal memory. While it may not be straightforward, it is easy to implement. Start by launching your favorite file explorer app, such as Solid Explorer or FX Explorer. These apps offer powerful features, including the ability to hide audio files from the music player. Navigate to the folder where the audio files you want to hide are saved, such as WhatsApp audio files or calls recorded. Create a new file in the folder and name it “.nomedia” (including the period) without adding any content. Repeat this process for all folders containing unwanted audio files. After creating the necessary files, reboot your smartphone and check if the audio files are still visible in the music player app. If they are, you may need to clear the media storage cache by going to Settings, selecting All Apps, finding Media Storage, and clearing the cache. Reboot your smartphone once again and check if the unnecessary audio files have been removed from the music player app.
2. Music Player Settings
Default music player apps that come pre-installed on smartphones are often mediocre. However, there are third-party offline music player apps available on the Play Store that offer more advanced features. Some of these apps allow you to specify the folders to search for music files, which can help exclude irrelevant audio files from your music library. One such app is Poweramp, which comes with a powerful equalizer and customizable settings. Depending on the music player app you use, this setting may be located in different places within the app's settings menu. In Poweramp, for example, you can find the option under “Library” in the settings menu. From there, you can choose the specific folders to scan for audio files, ignore video files, import/export playlists, and rescan the library after adding new music tracks. By selecting only the folders where your music tracks are stored, you can ensure that only relevant audio files appear in your music player app.
3. Hide Files Completely
While the previous methods are suitable for most users, some may require a more comprehensive approach. If you have sensitive audio files that you want to keep hidden from both the music player app and the file explorer app, you can use a file hiding or locking app. One option is Solid Explorer, which allows you to hide entire folders or individual files selectively. This method ensures that the audio files remain completely hidden, regardless of the app you use. To hide a folder or file, browse to its location in Solid Explorer, long-press on it, tap the menu icon, and select “Hide.” This action will hide the folder or file, making it inaccessible to both the music player app and the file explorer app.
In conclusion, these three methods provide simple yet effective ways to hide audio files in Android music player apps. Although it would be ideal for music player apps to handle this natively, utilizing a premium file explorer app like Solid Explorer and a feature-rich music player like Poweramp can help manage and organize your audio files more efficiently. By implementing these solutions, you can ensure that your music library only contains the audio files you want to listen to.

Jim's passion for Apple products ignited in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This was a canon event in his life. Noticing a lack of iPad-focused content that is easy to understand even for “tech-noob”, he decided to create Tabletmonkeys in 2011.
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