Overview

Seamlessly hide your sensitive call logs, text & multimedia message in a password-protected box for selected contacts.

Compatibility Notes

If you have an SMS replacement app (Handcent/Go SMS, etc.), please follow this guide in order to make blocking SMS works:

• Go SMS Open Go SMS, hit Menu>Settings>Receive Settings, then uncheck the ‘Disable other message notifications. Then open the built in SMS app, hit Menu> settings, uncheck ‘Notifications’.
• Handcent SMS Open Hancent>Menu>Settings>Application settings>Default Messaging Application, set this to ‘Disable’. Then open the built in SMS app, hit Menu> settings, uncheck ‘Notifications’.

Manage Secret Contacts

This section will discuss how to import a contact into USB, modify it, and remove it out from USB.

Add a new contact

To add a new contact, tap on  button on the top action bar, “Add contact” screen will be shown. There are two way to add a new contact

• Import from your phone book (sync with Google Contacts). What you need is to tap on “Import button” and pick a contact. Phone numbers, emails and contact photo will be imported.
• Enter numbers and name manually. USB looks up in the phone book and find a corresponding contact. If exist, numbers, emails, and contact photo will be imported.

If you check Delete in Phonebook, the contact will automatically remove out from your phone book. The advantage is that the contact will appear as an unknown person when you receive a call from her/him. However, not call contact information can be restored (such as birthday) since we store only phone numbers, emails, and contact photo.

Once you tap on “Save” button, all call logs and SMS linked to the selected contact will be moved into USB and you no longer see them in stock (Phone and Messaging) or other third-party (Go SMS or Handcent SMS) applications. All call and SMS logs can be restored later.

Edit a contact

Once the contact is added, you can make conversations, editor restore it. To edit a contact, tap on the Contact photo > Edit, you will go to the Edit contact screen.

• Change contact information and tap on “Save” to change it, tap on “Cancel” to dismiss changes,
• Tap on “Delete” will completely remove contact out of USB without restoring numbers nor call and SMS logs.

Restore a contact

To restore a contact, tap on the Contact photo > Restore, a dialog will pop up to ask to where do you want to store your contacts or select an account to store your contact (vary upon your phone version and manufacturer). If the selected contact is successfully stored into your phone book, USB will restore call and SMS logs and remove the contact out of it contact list.

Calls & Messages

Once contacts are added into USB, you can start a SMS conversation or make a call to your contact. All call and SMS logs will be no longer seen in stock applications. In this way, you can make your conversation privately. No one can see secret contacts and logs without your PIN.

Calls

• You can initiate a call from either USB or directly on the stock dial pad.
• You will receive all incoming call as usual. If the number is deleted from your phone book, neither photo nor name will be shown in the incoming screen.
• Incoming and outgoing logs from numbers managed by USB will be silently moved to USB as soon as the call is hanged up.

Messages

• Open USB, tap on a contact to send an SMS. Long message will be automatically split into smaller one (as the default stock application)
• Incoming SMS from numbers managed by USB will be silently moved to USB. Notification can be optionally shown. If it is shown, for your privacy reason, neither number, name, nor message will be appeared on notification bar.

For some phone model and Android version, this application may be conflicted with other SMS-based applications such as Go SMS or Handcent SMS, please take a look at above compatibility settings

Log management

• Tap on  on top action bar to delete log items,
• From conversation view, tap on a log item to copy, forward or delete it.

Settings

Security

• Change PIN: change PIN setting,
• Code recovery: define your email that is used to receive PIN code when you forget it,
• Remove app’s icon from Launcher: The app’s name and its icon can not hide your secret from prying eyes, this option help you to hide the app’s icon from Launcher. You should dial a number in order to open it,
• Number to be dialed: If you remove app’s icon, you should also define a number to dial to open the application. Default number is 888,
• Disable PIN when using dial: If the dial is enabled, the USB is two-time protected. It may annoy you, check this option on to by pass PIN protection and just dial a correct number to open the application.

UIs

• Show Notification: just show indicator, not detail contact’s number, name, or message details,
• Show emotion bar: show predefined emotional icons to be inserted into your composing messages,
• Use Wallpaper as Background will be applied to PIN unlocked screen,
• Customize Look & Feel: USB offers plugable themes and styles that make you feel better, see more in theme tab.

PIN Lost

If you forget your PIN and you have already defined PIN recovery email, just tap on “Email PIN” button on the unlock screen, you will receive your code in few seconds. If you did not define PIN recovery email, unfortunately, no way to open the application and you will lost all your secret contacts as well as messages and call logs associated. However, you still can uninstall USB and reinstall it from Market. Please notice that you will lost all your contacts and logs (SMS and call) once you uninstall the application.

USB offers you to customize both the contact list view as well as the conversation view per contact. Once you install the main application, you can click on “Theme” icon on top action bar to install additional themes and pick a installed themes. Don’t forget to restart the app and new theme will be shown

Install themes

Themes are available from Google Play

• Iphone: a pack of 2 iPhone SMS styles: Market
• Dark Blue: a pack of 5 dark blue styles: Market
• Chat: a pack of 5 chat styles: Market
• Blue: a pack of 5 blue styles: Market
• Grey: a pack of 5 dark grey styles: Market
• Green: a pack of 5 dark green styles: Market
• Violet: a pack of 5 violet styles: Market
• Black: a pack of 5 black theme: Market

Apply a theme

To apply a theme, follow below steps:

• Open USB, tap on Theme action bar icon, a theme manager will be shown

• Select a theme

• Close the app and re-open, the selected theme will be applied.

Compare versions

USB Free can be upgraded to get full features with KeyPro version. No contacts/logs migration required.