We all hand our smartphones over to friends or family members to show them a funny picture, only to experience a moment of panic as they start swiping left and right. Our camera rolls often contain sensitive information, from photographs of our passports to private family memories. Fortunately, learning how to hide photos on Android is incredibly simple thanks to a built-in privacy feature that keeps your sensitive media locked away.
In this guide, we will show you how to set up and use the “Locked Folder” feature within the native Google Photos app to ensure your private images are kept strictly confidential.
What is the Locked Folder?
Google Photos, which is the default gallery app on most modern Android devices (including Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones), features a secure partition called the Locked Folder. Any photos or videos moved into this folder are completely hidden from your main photo grid, your search results, and other applications on your device. The only way to view them is by providing your device’s screen lock (PIN, pattern, or fingerprint).
How to Set Up the Locked Folder
Before you can hide anything, you need to initialise the secure folder.
- Open the Google Photos app on your Android device.
- Tap on Library in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Tap on Utilities at the top.
- Scroll down to the “Organise your library” section and tap Locked Folder.
- Tap Set up Locked Folder.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to authenticate yourself using your fingerprint or screen lock PIN.
Your secure folder is now active and ready to receive files.
How to Hide Photos and Videos
Once your secure folder is set up, moving your sensitive media is a very fast process.
- Navigate back to your main Photos grid.
- Long-press on a photo or video you wish to hide to select it. You can tap multiple items to select them all at once.
- Tap the three vertical dots (…) in the top right corner of the screen to open the menu.
- Select Move to Locked Folder.
- Tap Move to confirm.
The selected items will instantly vanish from your main gallery and will not appear in any automatically generated albums or memories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are items in the Locked Folder backed up to the cloud?
By default, items moved to the Locked Folder are removed from your Google Cloud backup and exist solely on your physical device. If you lose your phone, you will lose those photos. However, Google recently introduced an option to back up your Locked Folder; you can enable this within the Locked Folder settings, but doing so means the encrypted files will be stored on Google’s servers.
Can other apps see my hidden photos?
No. When you move an image to the Locked Folder, it is hidden from the Android file system. If you open Instagram or WhatsApp and try to attach an image, the hidden photos will not appear in the selection menu.
By utilising this essential privacy tool, you can hand your phone to anyone without worrying about what they might accidentally see in your gallery.
