Ice Box – Apps freezer

You pick the apps you hardly ever open, send them into a box, and they vanish from your launcher until you need them again. Ice Box – Apps freezer MOD APK is built around that idea, so you can tidy your phone without uninstalling anything. A frozen app stays on the device but stops doing things behind your back.

Ice Box – Apps freezer at a glance

• Type: a utility app for managing other apps on your phone
• What you do: freeze, hide, defrost and launch apps from one place
• Developer: Ruoxin He
• Setup: easy on a rooted device, more involved without root
• Suits: people with many rarely used apps who want less background activity

My take: this is a tool for someone who likes tidying their phone and does not mind a bit of setup work. If you only want to hide a couple of icons, the setup may feel like too much effort. If your app drawer is overloaded, it is a sensible way to clean up without losing anything.

Main features

The core idea is simple. Apps you put in the box are hidden from the normal launcher, and while frozen they cannot use your battery or mobile data in the background. You open them from inside Ice Box, much like opening a folder on your home screen.

Freezing is mostly automatic. Apps go back into the freeze state after you lock the screen or return to the launcher, so you do not need to remember to do it by hand. When you open one, it is defrosted first and then runs as usual.

Long press an icon, or drag across several to select a group, and you get a menu of actions. You can run the app, freeze or defrost it, check its details, open its store page or uninstall it. Handy extras include launcher shortcuts to freeze everything, freeze everything and lock the screen, or defrost and start one chosen app. There is also a fingerprint lock, a notification shortcut, an Android quick shortcut and a double-click shortcut for freezing.

Setup depends on your phone. On a rooted device you can install and start using it right away. Without root, you have to follow a longer procedure using a computer so Ice Box receives the Device Owner permission it needs. Read this part carefully before you decide to use the app.

What the MOD unlocks

• No extra features listed – the app data for this page does not name any specific changes in the modified build, so expect the same freezing, hiding and shortcut tools described above.

Tips before you start

• Decide whether your phone is rooted. If it is not, set aside time for the computer-based Device Owner setup.
• Do not grant the Device Administrator permission by hand on the phone. The setup notes say this will stop it working.
• Start by freezing a few apps you rarely touch, then add more once you are comfortable with how launching from the box works.
• Turn on the fingerprint lock if you want to keep your frozen apps private, and add the freeze-all shortcut for quick use.

Installing the APK

Download the file from this page, then allow installs from unknown sources in your Android settings when prompted. If Android reports a conflict with an existing copy, remove the original app first and try again. Open the file, install it, then launch Ice Box and follow the setup steps that suit your device.

Common questions

Do I need root to use it?

No, root is not required. Without it, though, you must complete the longer Device Owner setup from a computer before freezing works. You can remove Ice Box from its own settings whenever you like.

Is it safe to install?

Files are checked before they are listed, but no download can be promised risk-free. Install only from sources you trust, and keep in mind that this app asks for powerful permissions, so be careful about what you grant.

Will frozen apps still send notifications?

Frozen apps cannot run in the background, so they should not be working behind your back. Defrost an app through Ice Box when you want to use it, and it will be frozen again after you lock the screen or go back to the launcher.