Now hide your images in a Google Locked Folder

Google added the ability for Pixel users to “lock away” images in a vault to keep them safe from prying eyes during the summer.

The feature is already available for non-Pixel handsets, though iPhone users will have to wait.

The feature is called Locked Folder, and everything you put in it is protected by the device’s lock screen passcode. Photos that have been locked will not appear in the Photos grid, Memories, or other apps that have access to the camera roll.

Google has just begun to roll out the feature to non-Pixel devices, such as Samsung and OnePlus smartphones. A prompt might even appear in the notification shade.

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You can check if you have the Locked Folder by going to Google Photos, selecting Library, and then Utilities. You may need to navigate through a few questions before seeing a card for configuring the Locked Folder on your device.

On a Pixel smartphone, instead of saving a shot photo to the camera roll, you can save it directly to the Locked Folder. On non-Google devices, however, you might not be able to use this feature. Because the OnePlus 9 uses the OnePlus-developed camera software, the option to shoot a shot immediately into the Locked Folder is noticeably absent.

It’s worth mentioning that anything you put in the Locked Folder isn’t stored in the cloud, so whatever you put there will live and die with your device. If you remove Google Photos in the meantime, those files will be erased.

Take a moment to set up your Locked Folder if you have access to it right now. It’s ideal for saving images of your driver’s licence, social security card, immunisation card, and anything else that shouldn’t be mixed up with your other photo albums. The Locked Folder should be accessible for iOS devices in the near future.

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