Finally, you can keep your Google Photos safe from prying eyes, even if you don’t own a Pixel device.
Google is taking the privacy of its users seriously, so is rolling out the Locked Folder feature to Android and iOS users, making it possible for more users to keep their images safe.
What Is Locked Folder in Google Photos?
After launching the Locked Folder feature on Pixel in May 2021, Google is rolling it out on all Android and iOS devices.
In case you’re wondering what a Locked Folder is, it’s an access-controlled folder where you can save media like photos and videos privately. They won’t be visible as you scroll through Google Photos or any other apps on your device.
Think of it as a hidden album feature, much like the one on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but with access control in the form of biometrics or a password.
That means that, unless you give someone else the passwords to your locked folders, you’re the only person who can access any photos saved there.
It also means that your photos saved in Locked Folder will not be synced to Google Photos or any other cloud service, but will be saved on the device used, giving you peace of mind that no unwanted eyes will be privy to the contents of your locked folders.
This is especially helpful if you have sensitive, private, or confidential photos on your Android or iOS device that you may want to keep for your eyes only.
Google’s Locked Folder feature will be made available to iPhones in early 2022, while non-Pixel Android users will have it sometime “soon.”
Google Is Helping You Keep Your Photos Safe
In this day and age, having the contents of your phone private is of the utmost importance. Whether uploaded to your social media or simply saved on your phone, your images are a hot commodity to hackers, scammers, fraudsters, and the like.
That’s why taking the steps to protect your photos is important. Google realizes that, which is why it is expanding its Locked Folders feature to Android and iOS devices.
When using Locked Folders, your can rest assured that all your private photos are less likely to be compromised and end up in the wrong hands, just as long as you don’t share your password.