How to see hidden photos on Samsung, and unhide albums

Photos missing from your Samsung Gallery? On a Galaxy phone they can be tucked away in at least eight places, from a hidden album to a group of similar shots. Here's where to look, starting with the most likely, and how to bring each one back. This guide is for finding your own photos.

1. Similar images are grouped

Gallery can group similar photos into one, showing a single photo until you tap the group. To see every photo again, tap the grouping icon next to the search icon in Gallery to turn grouping off.

2. The album is hidden

Hiding an album takes it, and its photos, out of Gallery without a password. To unhide one:

Open Gallery and tap Albums.
Tap ⋮ (More options), then Hide albums. On some versions, tap View all first.
Turn off the switch next to each album you want back.

If Essential albums is on, Gallery also shows only the albums you picked. In Albums, tap ⋮, then Select essential albums, tap the albums you want and tap Done, or turn off Essential albums in Gallery's settings to see them all.

3. They're in the Private album

On Galaxy phones with One UI 8.5, Gallery has a Private album for single photos and videos. Tap Menu, then Private album, and unlock it with your screen lock or fingerprint. To bring a photo back, open it and move it out of the album. Our Private album vs Secure Folder guide explains how it works.

4. They're in Secure Folder

Photos moved to Secure Folder only show in Secure Folder's own Gallery. Open Secure Folder from your apps, or search Settings for it if its icon is hidden, then open its Gallery. To bring a photo back, select it, tap ⋮ and choose Move out of Secure Folder.

5. They're in the trash

Deleted photos stay in Gallery's trash for 30 days. Tap Menu, then Trash (called Recycle bin on some phones), tap Edit, select the photos and tap Restore. After 30 days they're gone for good, as our guide to deleting photos permanently explains.

6. A .nomedia file is hiding the folder

Some apps add a file called .nomedia to a folder, which keeps every photo in it out of Gallery. To check:

Open My Files, tap ⋮, then Settings, and turn on Show hidden system files.
Go to the folder you're missing and look for a file named .nomedia.
Touch and hold it and tap Delete.

While you're in My Files, look for folders whose names start with a dot, since Gallery skips those too. Here's what a .nomedia file does.

7. They're in Google Photos instead

If you use Google Photos, photos can also be in its Archive or Locked Folder. Open Google Photos, tap Collections, then Archive or Locked. Photos that were backed up and then deleted from the phone may still be in your Google account, too.

8. They're somewhere Gallery doesn't look

Downloads. Some downloaded images only show in the Downloads album, not Pictures or Camera.
App folders. Some apps keep images in folders Gallery can't read. Copy them into Pictures with My Files.
Gallery's permissions. In Settings → Apps → Gallery → Permissions, make sure Photos and videos allows all photos.
A vault app. If you hid photos in a vault app, only that app can show them, as our guide to finding hidden photos explains.

Anyone else can look here too

Every place above, except Secure Folder and the Private album, takes a few taps for whoever holds your unlocked phone. Hidden albums have no password, grouped and archived photos aren't locked at all, and a .nomedia folder opens in any file manager. The Private album and Locked Folder open with your screen lock, which the people closest to you may know.

If you're hiding photos rather than looking for them, our guide to hiding photos on Samsung compares every option. A vault like Hidey has its own PIN, separate from your screen lock, and encrypts each photo on your phone, so finding its folder isn't enough to see anything.