“Sensitive notification content hidden”, How to get rid of it?

Sensitive notification content hidden is the most annoying and frustrating notification to get on your Android when a financial message notification like a bank OTP or money transaction messages are received on your number.

Although the message “Sensitive notification content hidden” is not specific to secret messages, it can also be applied to other message apps like WhatsApp, messages, Gmail, or banking apps that are not displayed on the lock screen.

This article discusses the sensitive notification on Android. What is it? What is the use of it? And finally, how do we get rid of the “Sensitive notification content hidden” message?

What does “Sensitive notification content hidden” mean?

This is a security feature launched with all Android devices running on Android 15 and later, including almost all the manufacturers, from Samsung to Xiaomi.

The motive of adding this feature is to provide an extra security feature and save you from banking frauds basically.

This is not an error but a built-in privacy feature of Android. Instead of displaying the full content of a notification (such as a WhatsApp message or Gmail subject), your phone will show something like:

“New message – content hidden”
or
“Sensitive notification content hidden”

Why Does Android Hide Sensitive Notification Content?

Android and most modern phone brands care deeply about user privacy. By default, Android hides sensitive content to prevent:

• Other people are reading your private messages.
• Sensitive information like OTPs, bank balances, or emails from being seen.
• Accidental data leaks when you leave your phone unattended.

This usually happens on your lock screen but can also appear in the notification bar if certain settings are enabled. Android calls it a privacy feature embedded in Android smartphones running on Andriod 15 and later OS versions. They believe that this can help users combat fraud.

Here are the main reasons this happens:

1. Default Android Security Setting

This is a universal security setting provided on Android OS versions 14 and beyond. Android sets this up by default, especially on new phones or after a factory reset. It’s a universal privacy feature built into the OS.

2. App-Specific Privacy Controls

Some apps like WhatsApp, Gmail, Signal, and banking apps allow you to hide content even if phone settings allow it. These apps provide in-app settings to choose if you want to see the notification preview on the screen or just the sender name.

You can typically find these settings under Apps settings> Notifications and choose whether to show the full preview of the message received or just the sender name as a notification.

3. Manufacturer Customization

In some countries like India and Europe, it is mandatory for manufatures like Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, and others to enable this setting on all latest Android smartphone due to GDPR(General Data Protection Regulation) to add additional layers of lock screen privacy.

How to Get Rid Of Hidden Notification Content on Android

Well, depending on the Android version and the manufacturer of the device, the settings may differ slightly, but they have the same concept and purpose to stop your smartphone from hiding notifications and show the full content instead of the “Sensitive notification content hidden” message in notification.

Here are the methods you can use:

Method 1: Change Lock Screen Notification Settings

Here’s how to disable sensitive content hiding for all apps:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Notifications or Lock Screen (depends on your phone).
3. Tap Notifications on lock screen or Lock screen notifications.
4. Select “Show all notification content”.
5. Exit settings and lock your phone to check if notifications now appear fully.

On Samsung phones:

Settings > Lock screen > Notifications > Show content

On Xiaomi phones:

Settings > Notifications > Lock Screen Notifications > Show message content

On OnePlus phones:

Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications > Lock Screen > Show all content

Method 2: Change Notification Settings for Specific Apps

If only some apps are hiding content (like WhatsApp or Gmail), you’ll need to fix each app individually.

1. Go to Settings > Apps.
2. Choose the app (e.g., WhatsApp, Gmail, Messages).
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Look for Lock screen notifications or Sensitive content options.
5. Enable “Show all notification content” or disable “Hide sensitive content”.

Method 3: Disable Enhanced Notifications

1. Go to your phone’s Settings
2. Navigate to Notifications
   
3. Tap on “More Settings”.
   
4. Turn off the “Enhanced notifications” option.
   

Method 4: Adjust Security or Screen Lock Settings

Sometimes, Sensitive content is hidden when:

• You’re using Face Unlock or Fingerprint Lock
• You’ve enabled Secure Lock Settings or Private Mode

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > Security & Lock Screen.
2. Tap Screen lock settings or Notifications on lock screen.
3. Ensure “Show all content” is selected.
4. Optional: Disable private mode, app lock, or secure folder if you’re using any of them.

Additional Setting To Watch Out To Show Hidden Sensitive Notification Content.

Make sure to restart the device, as sometimes the pre-built cache on the device prevents the OS from executing the settings. Also, ensure that your device has enough free disk storage to execute the task.

Insuch, you can try the following fixes:

Fix 1: Turn Off Do Not Disturb Mode

Do Not Disturb (DND) mode can mute or hide notifications completely—even if your settings are correct.

Steps:

1. Open Settings > Sound & Vibration > Do Not Disturb.
2. Disable DND.
3. OR, go to DND settings and allow notifications during DND.

Fix 2: Reset App Preferences

If an app still hides content despite changes:

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Reset App Preferences.
2. Tap Confirm.
3. This resets all app notification permissions but won’t delete your data.

Should You Always Show Full Notification Content?

Depending on your preferences and the priority to your privacy, you can easily choose to show the full message on the notification or just the “Sensitive notification content hidden” pop-up. Here is a table that may help you to decide better.

It depends on your usage:

• For Privacy Lovers: If you often leave your phone unattended or receive sensitive messages, keep this feature enabled.
• For Convenience Seekers: If you want instant info on the lock screen, follow the steps above to show full content.

Android Sensitive notification content-FAQ

Final Words: Lock Screen Notifications

Android’s “Sensitive notification content hidden” feature is useful—but not always convenient. Thankfully, Android gives you full control to show or hide notification previews based on your comfort and security level.