Our smartphones have become extensions of ourselves, so we like to believe they can safely guard our private information. For the most part, they can. They are not the easiest devices to hack, especially remotely.But what about prying eyes in public? No anti-phishing software can stop someone sitting next to you on the train from glancing at your screen.Thatâs why Samsung developed the Galaxy S26 Ultraâs Privacy Display feature. It doesnât address an internal security flaw but an external privacy problem. And from a technical standpoint, Privacy Display works surprisingly well.But do we actually need it? How often do people look at other peopleâs phones in public?According to a recent Samsung survey, more often than you might think. Over half of Europeans admit to glancing at strangersâ personal data in public. Hereâs what Samsungâs data shows:56% of Europeans admit to having looked at strangers' mobile phone screens by accident.24% of Europeans say they did it intentionally, out of curiosity.57% say public transport is where it happens.33% say they have seen personal, sensitive content on strangers' phones in public.28% say they ignore personal content from strangers, while 27% say they look away immediately.7% admitted to continuing to discreetly look at strangers' phones in public.The most commonly seen content includes personal photos (38%), video calls (32%), messages (29%), social media activity (27%), online shopping (17%), dating app notifications (12%), and even banking details (11%).Interestingly, Samsung says most people accept thereâs no real privacy in public, with only 21% believing phone use is a private activity.When they feel exposed, 42% of respondents say they put their phones away, while only 10% would confront the person looking.Samsungâs solution aims to eliminate this issue, much like traditional privacy screens. It darkens and makes the screen impossible to read when viewed at a wide enough angle. Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display – Source: SamMobile The difference is that the Galaxy S26 Ultraâs Privacy Display can be customized and toggled on or off at any time. It's a very clever and modern solution to a modern problem. Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display feature explained If you want to learn more about how it works and the Galaxy S26 Ultra itself, you can read our full review and check out our video below.Unfortunately, Privacy Display is available exclusively for the Ultra model. It may reach more Galaxy phones eventually, but for now, only the latest Ultra has it. Browse Galaxy S26 Ultra offers Samsung Shop