--- title: "How to Lock Google Photos on iPhone: 4 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Lock Google Photos on iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode in 10 seconds, then see what the lock hides and how to remove it again." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/google-photos lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to lock Google Photos on iPhone > Face ID can guard Google Photos in 10 seconds. Google Photos' own lock goes further. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - 31 Oct 2026 ## Quick answer Touch and hold the Google Photos icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap it again to confirm. Google Photos then asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. It works on iOS 18 or later and takes about 10 seconds. Google Photos also has its own lock: Locked Folder (Collections -> Locked). - **Fastest way:** Touch and hold -> Require Face ID -> confirm. - **Own lock:** Locked Folder. - **Opens with:** Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. - **Other devices:** The iOS lock doesn't sync. Set it on each device. - **iOS version:** iOS 18 or later - **Time needed:** About 10 seconds - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Needs an app?:** No - **Reversible?:** Yes - **Separate code?:** No iOS can lock Google Photos with Face ID in about 10 seconds, and Google Photos adds Locked Folder. Below: 4 ways to lock it, and what each one does and doesn't protect. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Google Photos' settings against its official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Lock Google Photos with Face ID (iOS 18 and later) 1. **Find Google Photos on your Home Screen** Touch and hold the Google Photos icon until the quick actions menu opens. 2. **Tap Require Face ID** On iPhones with Touch ID it says Require Touch ID. Require Passcode is also offered. 3. **Confirm** Tap Require Face ID again and authenticate. Google Photos now asks for Face ID every time it opens. Google Photos relocks each time you leave it. Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. **What this does not do:** your iPhone passcode opens every locked app. So does anyone whose face or fingerprint is enrolled on your phone. ## Method 2: Google Photos' own lock ### Locked Folder Go to **Collections -> Locked**. Locks only the Locked Folder, not the whole app. You open it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone passcode, and you can't set a different password. This lock uses the same Face ID or passcode as your iPhone, so it adds a second prompt, not a second secret. ## iOS lock vs Google Photos' own lock | | iOS Require Face ID | Locked Folder | |---|---|---| | Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | | Separate from iPhone passcode | No | No | | Hides notification content | Yes | Depends on the app | | Set where | Home Screen, touch and hold the icon | Collections -> Locked | ## Method 3: Lock and hide Google Photos together In the same menu, **Hide and Require Face ID** locks Google Photos and moves it to the Hidden folder in App Library. See [how to hide Google Photos](/en-gb/hide-apps/google-photos). ## Locking Google Photos doesn't lock its photos Photos you saved from Google Photos are in your camera roll, outside the lock. Move them into a vault and delete the originals from Photos. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Google Photos photos in an encrypted vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## How to unlock Google Photos again Touch and hold Google Photos, tap **Don't Require Face ID**, then authenticate. To stop Google Photos using Face ID for its own sign-in, go to **Settings -> Face ID & Passcode -> Other Apps** and turn it off. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I lock Google Photos on my iPhone? Yes. On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Google Photos, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. Google Photos also has its own lock, Locked Folder. ### How do I lock Google Photos without Face ID? Use the same menu. On iPhones with Touch ID it reads Require Touch ID, and you can choose your passcode instead. Screen Time with a Screen Time passcode is another option that uses a different code. ### Can someone open Google Photos if they know my passcode? Yes, if you only use Require Face ID: it accepts your iPhone passcode. To stop someone who knows your passcode, you need a lock with its own separate code, such as a Screen Time passcode. ### Does locking Google Photos hide its notifications? It hides what's inside them. Apple says information from a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. The icon stays on your Home Screen. To hide the icon too, use Hide and Require Face ID. ### Does a lock on Google Photos carry over to my iPad? No. Apple says locked and hidden apps don't sync with iCloud. The lock only applies to the iPhone where you set it. Lock Google Photos separately on your iPad with the same menu (iPadOS 18 or later). ## Bottom line Require Face ID locks Google Photos in about 10 seconds. Google Photos' Locked Folder adds a second prompt inside the app. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Lock or hide apps on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ipsd0be4c185/web) - [Google Photos Help: Hide sensitive photos & videos in Locked Folders (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/10694388?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Move photos to archive (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7362432?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) - [Google Photos Help: Find & manage your featured memories (iPhone & iPad)](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9454489?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS) ## More Google Photos privacy guides - [How to hide Google Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/google-photos) - [How to hide photos in Google Photos](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-photos/google-photos) - [Google Photos privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/google-photos) ## Lock apps for other apps - [How to lock Dropbox on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/dropbox) - [How to lock Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/photos) - [How to lock Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/safari) - [How to lock WhatsApp on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/whatsapp) - [How to lock Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/notes) - [How to lock Cash App on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/cash-app) - [All lock-app guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps) --- 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