diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1b04cba..ce81a88 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ cordova.plugins.backgroundMode.setDefaults({
     allowClose: Boolean, // add a "Close" action to the notification
     closeIcon: 'power', // An icon shown for the close action
     closeTitle: 'Close', // The text for the close action
-    showWhen: Boolean //(Default: true) Show the time since the notification was created
+    showWhen: Boolean, //(Default: true) Show the time since the notification was created
+    visibility: String, // Android only: one of 'private' (default), 'public' or 'secret' (see https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Notification.Builder.html#setVisibility(int))
 })
 ```
 
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ Various APIs like playing media or tracking GPS position in background might not
 
 ```js
 cordova.plugins.backgroundMode.on('activate', function() {
-   cordova.plugins.backgroundMode.disableWebViewOptimizations(); 
+   cordova.plugins.backgroundMode.disableWebViewOptimizations();
 });
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/android/ForegroundService.java b/src/android/ForegroundService.java
index e4ae337..80223e0 100644
--- a/src/android/ForegroundService.java
+++ b/src/android/ForegroundService.java
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ public class ForegroundService extends Service {
         String text     = settings.optString("text", NOTIFICATION_TEXT);
         boolean bigText = settings.optBoolean("bigText", false);
         String subText = settings.optString("subText", "");
+        String visibility = settings.optString("visibility", "");
 
         Context context = getApplicationContext();
         String pkgName  = context.getPackageName();
@@ -224,6 +225,10 @@ public class ForegroundService extends Service {
                     new NotificationCompat.BigTextStyle().bigText(text));
         }
 
+        if (!visibility.equals("")) {
+            notification.setVisibility(getVisibility(visibility));
+        }
+
         setColor(notification, settings);
 
         if (intent != null && settings.optBoolean("resume")) {
@@ -309,6 +314,23 @@ public class ForegroundService extends Service {
         return res.getIdentifier(icon, type, pkgName);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the visibility constant from a string.
+     *
+     * @param visibility one of 'public', 'private', 'secret'
+     *
+     * @return The visibility constant if a match is found, 'private' otherwise
+     */
+    private int getVisibility (String visibility)
+    {
+        if (visibility.equals("public")) {
+            return Notification.VISIBILITY_PUBLIC;
+        } else if (visibility.equals("secret")) {
+            return Notification.VISIBILITY_SECRET;
+        } else {
+            return Notification.VISIBILITY_PRIVATE;
+        }
+    }
     /**
      * Set notification color if its supported by the SDK.
      *
diff --git a/www/background-mode.js b/www/background-mode.js
index 3bfdf86..b1f66a9 100644
--- a/www/background-mode.js
+++ b/www/background-mode.js
@@ -424,7 +424,8 @@ exports._defaults = {
     allowClose:         false,
     closeIcon:          'power',
     closeTitle:         'Close',
-    showWhen:           true
+    showWhen:           true,
+    visibility:         undefined
 };
 
 /**