Skip to main content

    Hide Photos in Google Photos With Locked Folder

    Google Photos has a Locked Folder feature that lets you store sensitive photos and videos behind your fingerprint or PIN — hidden from your main photo library.

    3 min read · 5 steps · Checked April 2026

    1. Step 1. Open Google Photos and find Locked Folder

      Open the Google Photos app. Tap "Library" at the bottom right. Scroll down until you see "Utilities." Tap "Utilities," then tap "Locked Folder." If this is your first time, you will be asked to set it up using your fingerprint, face ID, or screen PIN.

    2. Step 2. Set up the lock

      Follow the prompts to unlock with your fingerprint or phone PIN. This becomes the key to your Locked Folder. Every time you open the folder, you will need to use this authentication.

      Quick Tip

      If you forget your phone PIN and lose your fingerprint access (new phone, finger injury), you will permanently lose access to photos in the Locked Folder. Consider this before storing anything irreplaceable there.

    3. Step 3. Move photos to the Locked Folder

      Inside the Locked Folder, tap "Move Items." This takes you to your regular photo library. Select the photos or videos you want to protect. Tap "Move." The photos disappear from your main library and are now only visible inside the Locked Folder.

      Warning

      Moving photos to the Locked Folder removes them from your cloud backup. They will only exist on your phone.

    4. Step 4. View and move photos back

      To see your protected photos, open Locked Folder (requires authentication). To move them back to your regular library, tap "Select" → choose photos → tap the three dots → "Move Out of Locked Folder."

    5. Step 5. Take photos directly to the Locked Folder

      Inside the Locked Folder, tap the camera icon to take a new photo or video that goes directly into the folder. It never appears in your main library at all. This is useful for photos you want to keep private from the start.

      Quick Tip

      Quick Tip: The Locked Folder does not appear when someone does a Google Photos backup review or connects your phone to a computer to browse photos.

    Google Photos includes a feature called "Locked Folder" that works like a private vault for your most sensitive photos and videos. Content you move to the Locked Folder is hidden from your main Google Photos library, does not appear in search results, and does not sync to other devices. It stays only on your phone.

    To access the Locked Folder, you have to enter your fingerprint, face, or PIN. Without that, anyone who picks up your phone and opens Google Photos will not see those photos at all.

    This is useful for:

    • Medical documents or health-related photos
    • Personal identification documents
    • Financial paperwork photos
    • Private personal photos you do not want visible at a glance

    The Locked Folder is available on Android phones with Google Photos (version 5.26 or later). iPhone support was added later but may be limited depending on your version.

    One important thing to know: photos in the Locked Folder are NOT backed up to the cloud. If you lose your phone or reset it without a backup, those photos are gone. So the Locked Folder is for privacy, not long-term storage.

    Official sources

    Still stuck?

    A real person can walk you through it over the phone.

    Get help from a person

    Related guides