Samsung vs Xiaomi vs Huawei Privacy Displays

This article compares the privacy screen features on Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei smartphones, explaining what each offers in terms of built-in privacy modes, app-level controls, and hardware filters. You will learn how each brand approaches on-device privacy and which one fits your needs best.

Background: Why Privacy Displays Matter

Smartphones store an enormous amount of personal data—messages, photos, banking apps, and location history. A privacy display is any feature that prevents others from seeing your screen content when you are in public. The three major Android brands—Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei—have each developed their own approach, ranging from simple screen dimming to sophisticated eye-tracking that hides notifications when someone else looks at your phone.

Samsung: One UI’s Privacy Dashboard and Screen Filters

Samsung’s One UI (version 4 and later) includes a dedicated Privacy Dashboard that shows which apps have accessed sensitive permissions like camera, microphone, and location in the last 24 hours. For the display itself, Samsung offers a built-in Extra Dim feature that reduces brightness below the normal minimum, useful in dark environments but not a true privacy filter.

The more relevant feature is Block Unwanted Viewing under Display settings, which uses the front camera to detect if someone other than the registered face is looking at the screen. When it does, it automatically hides notification content and blurs the screen. This works on flagship models like the Galaxy S series and Z Fold series.

Xiaomi: MIUI/HyperOS Privacy Features

Xiaomi’s MIUI (now HyperOS) includes a Privacy Protection section in Settings where you can see permission usage history, manage sensitive permissions, and enable a Second Space—a separate profile with its own apps and data, effectively hiding your main profile from anyone who unlocks the phone with a different fingerprint or PIN.

For screen-level privacy, Xiaomi offers a Privacy Screen Filter in the quick settings toggle. This applies a dark overlay that makes the screen harder to read from wide angles, though it also dims the content for the user. Xiaomi’s newer flagships (e.g., Xiaomi 13 and 14 series) also have a front-camera-based Privacy Protection that blurs notifications when it detects a face that isn’t yours.

Huawei: EMUI and HarmonyOS Privacy Controls

Huawei’s EMUI (and HarmonyOS on newer devices) provides a Privacy Center in Settings that logs app permission access and lets you review and revoke permissions. The display-specific feature is Multi-User Mode, which lets you create separate user profiles, each with its own apps and files, similar to Xiaomi’s Second Space.

Huawei also includes a Screen Privacy option in the Display settings that reduces the viewing angle of the screen by dimming it when the phone is tilted away from you. This is less advanced than Samsung’s eye-tracking but still offers a basic level of protection on models like the P series and Mate series.

How the Privacy Displays Work

All three brands rely on a combination of software and hardware:

• Software-based filters—overlays that reduce brightness or add a tint to make the screen harder to read from an angle.
• Camera-based detection—the front camera continuously scans for faces that aren’t the owner’s, triggering a blur or hide action.
• User profiles—separate spaces that require a different unlock method to access.

The camera-based approach is the most effective because it actively reacts to a second viewer, but it uses more battery and may have a slight delay. Software overlays are simpler but can be bypassed by simply moving closer or tilting the screen.

Common Problems and Limitations

Users often report that privacy filters make the screen too dark for normal use, especially outdoors. Camera-based detection can be fooled by photos or by someone looking at the screen from behind. Profile-based systems require you to remember to switch profiles, which many people forget. Also, none of these features protect against screen recording or screenshots taken by malicious apps—those require separate permission controls.

How to Choose the Right Privacy Feature

Consider your primary threat model:

• If you commute on crowded trains and worry about shoulder surfers, choose a phone with camera-based detection (Samsung or Xiaomi flagships).
• If you share your phone with family members, a user profile system (Huawei or Xiaomi) is more practical.
• If you only want a quick toggle for occasional privacy, a software filter (any brand) is sufficient.

Also note that these features are not available on budget models—check the specifications before buying.

Comparison: Which Brand Offers the Most?

Samsung offers the most comprehensive set: privacy dashboard, camera-based detection, and extra dim. Xiaomi is close behind with second space and camera-based blur on high-end models. Huawei provides solid profile-based privacy but lacks the advanced eye-tracking found on Samsung’s flagships. For pure screen-level privacy, Samsung leads; for data isolation, Xiaomi and Huawei are on par.

Costs and Alternatives

Privacy display features are built into the operating system and do not cost extra. However, they are typically only available on mid-range and flagship devices. If you have an older phone, you can install a third-party privacy screen protector (a physical film that limits viewing angles) for a low cost. Alternatively, you can use a simple habit: lower your screen brightness and hold the phone closer to your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Samsung’s privacy screen work with sunglasses?

No, camera-based detection relies on facial recognition, which may fail with sunglasses, hats, or poor lighting. In those situations, the feature will not trigger, so you may need to rely on a manual filter.

Can I use Xiaomi’s Second Space to hide apps?

Yes, Second Space is a separate user profile. You can install apps there and they will not appear in the main profile. However, both profiles share the same storage, so files are not fully isolated.

Is Huawei’s privacy center available on all models?

No, the Privacy Center is available on EMUI 10 and later, which covers most phones from 2019 onward. Older models may have a simplified version under Settings > Security.

Do these features drain the battery?

Camera-based detection uses the front camera continuously, which can drain battery faster. Software filters have negligible impact. Profiles have no battery cost.

Can I turn off these privacy features permanently?

Yes, all three brands allow you to disable the features in Settings under Display or Privacy. You can also set them to activate only when you are in a public place.

Which brand is best for privacy overall?

If you mean display-level privacy, Samsung’s eye-tracking is the most advanced. For data privacy, all three offer similar permission controls, but Huawei’s lack of Google services may reduce data sharing with third-party apps, which some users prefer.

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