Samsung Puts App Lock on Fridges Before Galaxy Phones

SammyGuru is reader-supported. We have affiliate and sponsored partnerships, so we may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site — at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Galaxy users have been requesting a built-in app lock for years. Instead of bringing it to phones, Samsung has delivered the feature to… a refrigerator. Yes, really. The company’s Family Hub smart fridges with touchscreens now support App Lock. With it, users can secure individual apps behind a PIN, keeping sensitive services off-limits to anyone casually poking around the fridge’s interface.

Samsung fridges have App Lock before Galaxy phones

What makes this rollout surprising is where it landed first. Despite being one of the most basic security utilities people expect on a smartphone, native App Lock isn’t yet available on Galaxy phones. While you can hide sensitive information in Secure Folder, it functions differently from app locking solutions. Unsurprisingly, users are puzzled as to why a refrigerator is getting this feature before their premium handset.

Part of the explanation may lie in software differences. Samsung’s home appliances run on One UI software built on Tizen OS, a Linux-based platform that Samsung controls top-to-bottom. Meanwhile, Galaxy phones run One UI atop Android OS, which has its own app permission systems and Google-led restrictions that may complicate the direct integration of an App Lock feature. Still, it isn’t impossible.

Interestingly, Samsung’s Now Brief feature, a personalized information hub, also rolled out to smart refrigerators before landing on some of the company’s most popular Galaxy phones. With those giant appliances now getting App Lock, we hope the company has the tool in the pipeline for phones too. Samsung’s software development team previously suggested that they are considering the feature for future One UI builds.

The new notable update is One UI 8.5, expected to debut with the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026. It is shaping up to be a major “point” update rather than a minor refinement. It remains to be seen if App Lock will be part of that package, finally giving Galaxy phones the same privacy controls already enjoyed on Samsung’s home appliances.

Written by

Sumit Adhikari

Sumit, a life-long Samsung user, is passionate about technology and has been professionally writing on tech since 2017. He’s a mathematics graduate by education and enjoys teaching basic mathematics tricks to school kids in his spare time. Sumit believes in artificial intelligence and dreams of a fully open, intelligent and connected world.

XMore from Sumit Adhikari →