How to hide photos in Google Photos, and what Locked Folder misses
Written for android and iPhone users who store their library in Google Photos and want to know how private Locked Folder really is
Short answer
In Google Photos on Android and iPhone, hiding a photo means moving it to the Locked Folder under Collections > Locked. Items inside Locked Folder disappear from your main photo grid, Memories, search results and other apps on the phone. Its main limitation is how it unlocks: Locked Folder uses your phone’s regular screen lock (fingerprint, face or PIN), and if you turn on Locked Folder cloud backup, anyone who signs in to your Google account and passes the prompt can view it on the web and other devices.
On this page
Google Photos used to offer only an Archive button, which tucked receipts out of your main timeline while leaving them wide open in search results and albums without any lock. Today, Google Photos includes Locked Folder on Android, iPhone, iPad and the web.
According to Google Photos’ Locked Folder documentation, moving an item into Locked Folder hides it from your Photos grid, Memories, albums and every other app on your device that has media-reading permissions. Before relying on it for sensitive pictures, check two critical details: whether cloud backup is switched on for Locked Folder, and who knows your phone’s screen lock.
Archive vs Locked Folder vs Separate Vault
How to move photos and videos into Locked Folder
Setting up Locked Folder for the first time takes under a minute on Android or iOS:
- Make sure you have a device screen lock (PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint or Face ID) enabled in your phone’s system settings, because Google Photos refuses to create a Locked Folder without one.
- Open Google Photos, select the photos and videos you want to hide, swipe the bottom action bar to the left, and tap Move to Locked Folder.
- Choose whether to turn on Back up Locked Folder to your Google Account or keep Locked Folder local to this device only, then confirm Move.
- To view your items later, tap Collections at the bottom of Google Photos, scroll down to the bottom row, tap Locked, and unlock with your phone’s biometric or screen lock.
Important cleanup step on iPhone: if you run Google Photos on an iPhone alongside Apple Photos, moving a picture to Google’s Locked Folder removes it from Google Photos and asks permission to delete it from Apple Photos, which puts a copy into Apple Photos > Utilities > Recently Deleted for 30 days. Open Apple Photos and clear Recently Deleted as well if you want it gone immediately.
Cloud backup ON vs OFF in Google Locked Folder
When Google first launched Locked Folder on Pixel phones, items were strictly device-only: losing your phone or uninstalling the app wiped everything inside. Google later added optional cloud backup for Locked Folder (Google Photos Help), and each choice carries a major trade-off:
| Setting | What happens if you lose your phone | Privacy trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Back up Locked Folder: ON | Your Locked Folder syncs across your signed-in Android phones, iPhones and photos.google.com (accessible with your Google Account password / passkey). | Files sit on Google’s cloud servers under Google’s standard encryption rather than a client-side zero-knowledge key that only you hold, and anyone signed in to your Google Account on a laptop or tablet can open Locked Folder. |
| Back up Locked Folder: OFF | Permanent data loss if the phone breaks, is factory-reset, or if you uninstall / clear data for the Google Photos app. Local Locked Folder items are also excluded from standard Android USB/cloud transfers. | Files stay off Google’s cloud, yet still unlock on the phone with your regular Android or iPhone screen-lock PIN. |
Three limits of Google Photos Locked Folder
- Same PIN as your lock screen: there is no setting in Google Photos to assign a separate password to Locked Folder. If a partner, child or family member knows your 4-digit Android PIN or pattern, they can open Locked Folder.
- Flat list with no sub-albums: inside Locked Folder, every hidden photo and video sits in a single chronological stream, you cannot organise documents, receipts and personal trips into separate albums inside Locked Folder, and moving an item into Locked Folder removes it from all existing albums.
- Screenshots blocked on Android, not cameras: Android blocks screenshots inside Locked Folder, which stops accidental captures, while anyone who unlocks it with your phone PIN can still tap Move to put photos back into the main gallery and share them.
For a full feature-by-feature table comparing Google’s built-in folder against a standalone encrypted vault, see our Google Photos Locked Folder comparison.
Questions
Where is Locked Folder in Google Photos?
Open the Google Photos app, tap Collections at the bottom, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and tap Locked. Authenticate with your device fingerprint, face or screen-lock PIN to view its contents.
Are photos in Google Photos Locked Folder backed up to the cloud?
Google Photos now offers optional cloud backup for Locked Folder. If you turn Back up Locked Folder on, items sync across your signed-in devices and photos.google.com; if you keep it off, items live only on that phone and are permanently lost if you uninstall Google Photos or break the phone.
Can I set a separate PIN for Google Photos Locked Folder?
No. Google’s documentation states that Locked Folder always uses your device screen lock. Anyone who knows your phone’s unlock PIN, pattern or passcode can open your Locked Folder.
Can Pixel phones save photos straight from the camera into Locked Folder?
Yes. On Google Pixel phones (Pixel 3 and later), open the Pixel Camera app, tap the photo gallery thumbnail or folder selector in the corner, and choose Locked Folder before shooting so new shots bypass the main grid entirely.
What happens to Locked Folder items if I delete the Google Photos app?
If you chose 'Do not back up' for Locked Folder, uninstalling Google Photos or clearing Google Photos app data on Android or iPhone permanently erases every local-only item inside Locked Folder.
Keep reading
AlbumVault vs Google Photos Locked Folder
Locked Folder is free in Google Photos and keeps photos out of your grid. Anyone who knows your screen lock can open it.
GuideChoosing an app to hide photos: 5 approaches compared
A lock screen is not the same as encryption. Here is how the five types of photo-hiding apps actually store your files.
SituationSomeone knows your passcode. Now what?
On an iPhone, the passcode opens the Hidden album and often locked apps too. Change it, and keep private photos behind a separate code.
