--- title: "How Do You Hide Photos in Google Photos? Locked Folder Explained" description: "Hide photos in Google Photos with Locked Folder on iPhone or Android: the steps, why Archive isn't hiding, who can still open it, and how to make it private." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hide-photos-google-photos lang: en published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to hide photos in Google Photos (and make them private) > Locked Folder really does take photos out of your grid, search and albums, but it opens with the same screen lock or Google password as everything else. Published 2026-10-29 - Updated 2026-10-29 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team ## Quick answer To hide photos in Google Photos, use Locked Folder. Select the photo, tap Add to -> Move to Locked Folder, then tap Move. It disappears from the Photos grid, search, albums and memories and opens with your phone's screen lock (on iPhone: Face ID, Touch ID or passcode). Archive only tidies your grid; archived photos still show in search and albums. - **To really hide:** Locked Folder: Collections -> Locked. It opens with your device screen lock. - **Archive is not hiding:** Archived photos still appear in albums, search results and device folders. - **No separate password:** Phone: your screen lock. photos.google.com: your Google Account password. - **Backup trap:** With Locked Folder backup off, deleting the app or losing the phone loses those photos. Use Locked Folder. In the Google Photos app, select the photo, tap **Add to -> Move to Locked Folder**, and tap **Move**. The photo leaves your Photos grid, search results, albums and memories, other apps on your phone can't read it, and opening the folder takes your screen lock: Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode on iPhone, your screen lock on Android, your Google Account password on the web. It works the same way on iPhone and Android. The limit: it hides photos behind locks you already use. It doesn't add a separate password. We checked every step below against Google Photos Help in October 2026. Menus can shift slightly between app versions. ## How do you hide photos in Google Photos? Locked Folder is the only Google Photos feature built to hide photos from other people. The first time you move something there, the app walks you through setup. 1. **Set up Locked Folder** Open the Google Photos app, tap Collections, tap Locked, then tap Set up Locked Folder and unlock your phone when asked. You may instead be prompted the first time you move a photo. 2. **Decide on backup** During setup you can turn on backup for Locked Folder. Leave it off and the items live only on this phone; turn it on and you can open them on your other signed-in devices. 3. **Select the photos** Tap Photos at the bottom, then select the photos or videos you want to hide. 4. **Move them** At the bottom, tap Add to, then Move to Locked Folder, then tap Move. 5. **Look for leftover copies** Only the original moves. Check your grid and Trash for edited versions or copies, and on iPhone check Apple's Photos app too. **On a computer:** open photos.google.com, select the photos, click **More -> Move to Locked Folder**, then **Move**. On the web, the folder opens with your Google Account password, and anything you move there from a computer shows up in Locked Folder on your other devices. **On a Pixel phone:** Google says Pixel 4 and later can save straight from the Pixel camera into Locked Folder. Touch and hold the preview of your last shot, then tap **Locked Folder**. > **Note:** Locked Folder needs iOS 15 or later on iPhone and iPad, or Android 6 or later. Without a passcode or screen lock on the device, you'll have to set one up first. ## Locked Folder vs. Archive: which one hides photos? Only Locked Folder. Archive is a decluttering tool: it takes photos out of your main Photos view, nothing more. | | Locked Folder | Archive | |---|---|---| | Removed from the Photos grid | Yes | Yes | | Removed from search results | Yes | **No** | | Removed from albums | Yes | **No**, stays in albums it was added to | | Kept out of memories and highlight videos | Yes, and removed from existing memories | Not used for highlight videos or animations | | Needs a lock to open | Yes: screen lock or Google Account password | No | | Can be shared or edited | No, move it out first | Yes | | Counts toward storage | Only items that are backed up | Yes | | Where to find it | Collections -> Locked | Collections -> Archive | To archive a photo, open it, tap **More** at the top, then **Archive**. Use it for screenshots, receipts and duplicates you don't want in the way. For anything you'd be uncomfortable with someone seeing, Archive is the wrong tool. ## What Locked Folder actually changes (and what it doesn't) Google describes the folder as private and not shared, and it keeps that promise inside the app. Items in Locked Folder: - Don't appear in the Photos grid, search, albums, shared items or new memories. - Are removed from existing memories and draft print orders. - Aren't available to other apps on your phone that have access to your photos. - Stop showing on Google smart displays like Nest Hub or through Chromecast, though Google says this can take up to an hour. What it doesn't do: - **It doesn't add its own password.** Google says plainly that you can't use a different Locked Folder password. - **It doesn't move copies.** Only the original moves. Edited versions, duplicates, items in Trash, and copies that people you shared with already saved all stay where they are. - **It isn't described as end-to-end encryption.** Google says Locked Folder is protected by Google Photos' standard encryption practices. Its help page doesn't claim more than that. ## Who can see photos in your Locked Folder? Here's who can open what, based on Google's own descriptions: | Who | Can they see Locked Folder photos? | Why | |---|---|---| | Someone scrolling your grid, albums or search | **No** | Locked Folder items are excluded from all three. | | Other apps on your phone with photo access | **No** | Google says the items aren't available to them. | | Your Nest Hub or Chromecast slideshow | **No** (after up to an hour) | Locked Folder items are pulled from smart displays. | | Someone who knows your phone's passcode or screen lock | **Yes** | The screen lock is the folder's lock. | | Someone whose face or fingerprint is enrolled on your iPhone | **Yes** | Face ID and Touch ID unlock the folder on iPhone. | | Someone with your Google Account password | **Yes, if backup is on** | photos.google.com opens Locked Folder with that password. | | Another phone signed in to your Google Account | **Yes, if backup is on** | Backed-up items appear on your other signed-in devices. | | People you shared the photo with before | **Their saved copies, yes** | Moving your version doesn't touch copies they saved. | | Apple's Photos app on your iPhone | **Check it** | Google's help doesn't say what happens to the iPhone's own copy. | In short, Locked Folder keeps photos away from casual scrolling and from other apps. It doesn't stop anyone who has your screen lock or your Google password. ## Does Locked Folder back up? Only if you turn it on, and that choice matters more than anything else on this page. - **Backup off:** items live only on that phone. Google warns you'll lose anything not backed up if you uninstall the app, clear its data, factory reset the phone, or the phone is lost or damaged. Device-to-device transfers don't carry these items over either. - **Backup on:** items are saved to your Google Account, count toward your storage, and open on your other signed-in devices and on photos.google.com. One detail is easy to miss. Google says that if Locked Folder backup is off, moving a photo there **deletes its existing Google Photos backup**. A photo that was safely in the cloud ends up with one copy, on one phone. To change it, tap your profile picture, then **Google Photos settings -> Backup -> Back up Locked Folder**, unlock, and flip the switch. Automatic Locked Folder backup also requires regular backup to be on. You can also back up single items: open Locked Folder, long-press the photos, and tap **Backup**. ## How to make Google Photos private Hiding a photo doesn't undo sharing you've already done. To lock down the rest of your library: 1. **Check everything you've shared.** Tap your profile picture, then **Photos settings -> Sharing -> Manage sharing activity** to review shared links, shared memories and conversations. 2. **Turn off album links.** Open a shared album, tap **More -> Sharing settings -> Manage access**, and turn off **Link sharing**. Google notes that people you remove can rejoin through the link unless it's off. 3. **Remove people.** In the same Manage access screen, tap **More** next to a person, then **Remove person**. 4. **Review partner sharing.** In **Photos settings -> Sharing -> Partner sharing**, check what you share automatically, or tap **Remove partner**. 5. **Accept what you can't recall.** Google says turning off sharing doesn't delete copies someone already downloaded or saved. ## On iPhone, check Apple's Photos app too If you use Google Photos on an iPhone, your pictures usually live in two places: Apple's Photos library on the phone and Google Photos in the cloud. Google's help page doesn't say whether moving a photo into Locked Folder removes the copy in Apple's Photos app. So after you move something, open the Photos app on your iPhone and search for it. If it's still there, hide or delete it there too, and empty **Recently Deleted**. Google itself notes that items deleted through Google Photos may still sit in Apple Photos' Recently Deleted. Our guide to [hiding photos on iPhone](/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone) covers Apple's Hidden album, and [how to lock photos on iPhone](/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone) covers stronger options. It's also worth checking which apps can read your whole iPhone library. See [photo access permissions on iPhone](/blog/iphone-photo-access-permission). ## When Locked Folder is enough Locked Folder is a solid choice when: - You want photos out of your grid, search and memories, and out of reach of other apps. - Nobody else knows your phone's passcode or your Google password. - You've decided on backup on purpose, not by default. ## When you need more than Locked Folder It falls short when the person you're worried about knows your screen lock or Google password, uses a phone signed in to your account, or when you'd rather the photos not sit in Google's cloud at all. In those cases you want a lock that's separate from both. On iPhone, one way to get that is a vault app. We make VaultForYou, so weigh our pick accordingly. VaultForYou is an iPhone app that keeps the photos, videos and documents you choose in a vault that opens only with a pattern you draw, not your iPhone passcode. Files are encrypted on your iPhone, the keys stay in the iOS Keychain, and we can't see them. They live outside the Photos library and need no account at all, Google or otherwise. After moving photos in, delete the originals from Apple Photos and Google Photos and empty Recently Deleted and Trash. Forget the pattern, though, and that vault can't be opened. See [what a vault app is](/blog/what-is-a-vault-app) for how to judge one. > **A lock that isn't your passcode or your Google password.** An encrypted vault on your iPhone, opened by a pattern you draw. No account needed. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you hide photos on Google Photos? Yes. Locked Folder hides photos and videos from your Photos grid, search, albums and memories, and it opens only with your device screen lock, or your Google Account password on photos.google.com. Archive also removes photos from your main grid, but archived photos still show in albums and search results, so it's a tidying tool rather than a privacy tool. ### Does Google Photos have a hidden album? Not under that name. The closest thing is Locked Folder, which you find in the app under Collections -> Locked, or as Locked Folder on photos.google.com. Archive, under Collections -> Archive, is often mistaken for a hidden album, but Google says archived photos stay in albums, search results and folders on your device. ### How do I lock photos in Google Photos? Move them to Locked Folder. Select the photos, tap Add to, then Move to Locked Folder, then Move. The first time, you'll be asked to set the folder up and unlock your phone. After that, opening Collections -> Locked requires your screen lock: Face ID, Touch ID or passcode on iPhone, your screen lock on Android. ### Can I set a password for Locked Folder in Google Photos? No. Google's help page says you can't use a different Locked Folder password. On a phone, the folder opens with your device screen lock, and on photos.google.com it opens with your Google Account password. Anyone who knows your phone's passcode or your Google password can open it, so treat those as the folder's real keys. ### Does archiving hide photos in Google Photos? Only from your main Photos view. Google says archived photos still appear in any albums they were added to, in search results and in folders on your device, and they still count toward your storage. Archive isn't locked either. Use it to declutter screenshots and receipts, and use Locked Folder for anything private. ### Is Locked Folder available on iPhone? Yes. Google says Locked Folder works on iPhone and iPad with iOS 15 or later, and it unlocks with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. If your iPhone has no passcode, you'll need to set one first. You open it the same way as on Android: Collections, then Locked. ### What happens to Locked Folder if I delete the Google Photos app? If Locked Folder backup is off, items you haven't backed up are lost. Google lists uninstalling the app, clearing its data, a factory reset, and a damaged or lost device. To keep them, turn on Back up Locked Folder in Google Photos settings -> Backup, or back up individual items from inside the folder. ### How do I make my Google Photos private? Move sensitive photos to Locked Folder, then review what you've shared. In Google Photos settings, open Sharing -> Manage sharing activity to see your shared links, memories and conversations. In each shared album, open Sharing settings -> Manage access to turn off link sharing and remove people. Copies others already downloaded or saved aren't affected. ## Bottom line To hide photos in Google Photos, use **Locked Folder**, not Archive. It removes photos from your grid, search, albums and memories and opens only with your screen lock or Google password. Decide on Locked Folder backup deliberately, because without it the photos exist on one phone only. Then review your shared links and albums, and on iPhone, check Apple's Photos app for a leftover copy. Keep reading: - [How to hide photos on iPhone](/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone) - [How to lock photos on iPhone](/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone) - [The best photo vault apps for iPhone](/blog/best-photo-vault-apps-iphone) ## Sources - [Google Photos Help: Hide private photos & videos in Locked Folder (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/10694388?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Hide private photos & videos in Locked Folder (Android)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/10694388?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) - [Google Photos Help: Move photos to archive](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7362432?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Stop sharing an album & manage settings](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Share photos & videos](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Delete photos & videos](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6128858?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) ## Keep reading - [How to Hide Photos on iPhone: Hidden Album Guide (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/hide-photos-on-iphone): Hide photos on iPhone in seconds, find your hidden photos in the Hidden album, and see who can still open them, what syncs to iCloud and when a vault is better. - [How to Lock Photos on iPhone: 4 Ways That Actually Work (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone): Lock photos on iPhone with the Hidden album, a Face ID lock on the Photos app, a locked note or an encrypted vault, and see who can still open each one. - [What's the Most Secure Way to Store Nudes on iPhone? (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/private-photos-iphone): The most secure way to store nudes on iPhone: keep them out of Photos and iCloud Photos, check who can see what, share with care, and know where to get help. - [8 Best Photo Vault Apps for iPhone in 2026 (Free and Paid)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/best-photo-vault-apps-iphone): We compared 8 iPhone photo vault apps, free and paid, on encryption claims, unlock, decoys, backup, accounts and App Store privacy labels. Checked Oct 2026. --- Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000