How to hide photos on Android: every option compared
Google Photos Locked Folder, Files by Google, Samsung Secure Folder or a vault app? What each option really does, and how to pick the right one.
· 6 min read
Hiding a photo on Android can mean very different things. Some options only keep a photo out of your gallery. Others encrypt it, lock it behind its own code and back it up. Here is what each common option really does, so you can pick the one that fits.
What "hidden" should mean
Before comparing options, it helps to know what you are asking for. A properly hidden photo is:
- Out of sight: it no longer appears in your gallery, in search or in other apps.
- Locked: opening it needs something only you know, not just an unlocked phone.
- Encrypted: if someone copies the file off your phone, they get unreadable data.
- Backed up: losing your phone doesn't mean losing the photo.
Most options cover some of these. Few cover all four.
Option 1: Google Photos Locked Folder
Locked Folder is built into Google Photos on Android 6 and later. Items you move there disappear from your photo grid, memories, search and albums, and other apps on your phone can't open them.
It is protected by your phone's screen lock: the same PIN, pattern or fingerprint you use to unlock the phone. Backup is optional. You can turn it on so the folder is available on your other devices, or keep it on one phone only. Google notes that items you haven't backed up are lost if you uninstall Google Photos, clear its data or lose the phone.
- Good for: hiding a few photos quickly, without installing anything.
- The catch: anyone who knows your screen lock can open it, and that is often the person you are hiding photos from.
Option 2: Files by Google Safe folder
The Files by Google app has a Safe folder for documents and other files, on Android 8 and later. You lock it with a PIN or a pattern that is separate from your screen lock, and it locks again as soon as you leave the app.
- Good for: documents and downloads, if you already use Files by Google.
- The catch: forgetting the PIN or pattern can mean losing what is inside, so keep a copy of anything important elsewhere.
Option 3: Samsung Secure Folder
On Samsung Galaxy phones, Secure Folder creates a separate space protected by Samsung Knox, which encrypts the data stored there. It has its own lock, can hold whole apps as well as files, and offers backup and restore.
- Good for: Samsung owners who want a fully separate space for apps and files.
- The catch: it only exists on Samsung Galaxy phones, and some older models don't support it.
Option 4: a dedicated vault app
Vault apps like Hidey focus on one job: taking private photos, videos and files off your gallery and keeping them locked. A good one should:
- Encrypt files on your phone, not just move or rename them.
- Delete the originals after hiding, so no copy stays in your gallery.
- Lock with its own PIN or password, with fingerprint as an option.
- Back up somewhere you control, and explain how you get your files back on a new phone.
That last point matters more than it seems. Some vaults upload your photos to their own servers. Hidey backs up to a hidden folder in your own Google Drive, encrypted before upload, and the security page explains exactly how recovery works.
Which one should you use?
| If you want to... | Try |
|---|---|
| Hide a few photos, fast | Google Photos Locked Folder |
| Lock documents you keep in Files by Google | Files by Google Safe folder |
| Separate whole apps on a Galaxy phone | Samsung Secure Folder |
| Encrypt photos, videos and files with backups you own | A vault app like Hidey |
Don't forget the copies
Whichever option you choose, a photo you hide may still exist somewhere else: in Google Photos' cloud backup, in a chat app's media folder or in a trash folder. Our guide to finding leftover copies walks through where to look.