Android Private Space installs a second app, not a hidden copy

Installing an app in Private Space creates a new instance. On an eligible device running Android 15 or later, the original app keeps its data in the main space. Private Space is available to the device’s main user.

Install the private instance

Unlock Private Space, then touch and hold the app in All Apps. Tap “Install app in Private space” and follow the installer. You can also open Private Space and tap “+ Install”. Sign in to any accounts you want to use there; accounts from the main space are not signed in automatically.

If the original app still appears

If you already use the app in the main space, you now have two instances. Scroll to “Private space” in All Apps and tap “Lock”. The private instance stops foreground and background activity and cannot show notifications while locked. The original app keeps its data and is unaffected, so its icon or notifications may still appear. Their presence does not mean the original app moved or the private lock failed.

Signing in to the private instance with a Google Account used outside Private Space can make synced data available outside it. Google recommends a dedicated account to help avoid that overlap. You can copy or move individual files into Private Space, but this does not transfer the original app’s data.

Source: Google Android Help.