The Locked Folder for private photos on Google Photos first arrived on Google Pixel, but now arrives on all Android: what it is and how it works
Privacy is a theme that has always been important, but in recent times has acquired the utmost relevance even in the eyes of those who previously did not perceive it as pressing. As a result, it has also become an issue for smartphone and app manufacturers, who are striving to offer better and better features.
The latest news is the Locked Folder that Google announced in June, at the Google I/O event, initially making it available only for Pixel smartphones, but now making it available to all owners of an Android smartphone in version 6 or later. To illustrate where Locked Folder can come in handy, Google in June gave the example of a parent who wants to keep the adoption of a puppy hidden from their children by hiding photos of the new arrival from their phone, but the circumstances in which a similar feature can come in handy are definitely numerous and even more “crafty” than Google’s example.
What’s the Google Photos Locked Folder
The Google Photos Locked Folder or Protected Folder is nothing more than a “safe” inside which you save those sensitive media contents, i.e. photos and videos, that you want to protect so that they are not visible: the items included in the Locked Folder are not displayed in the Photos grid, among memories, in searches or albums, and will not be available to other apps on the device that have access to the photos and videos.
It is important to keep in mind that items included in the Google Photos Locked Folder will not be saved within the backup, again to ensure maximum privacy and prevent these photos from ending up under prying eyes.
How to activate Locked Folder
To create a Locked Folder within Google Photos you need to open the app, tap on the Collection button in the bottom right corner, then Utilities and Locked Folder, finally Configure Locked Folder and follow the on-screen instructions to unlock your smartphone.
Of course, if the folder is empty you will see the message There are no items yet until the first media content to be made private is added to keep it from prying eyes.
To access Locked Folder the device will propose the same unlocking system that you use to access your smartphone, code, sequence or biometric recognition; for example, if you normally unlock your smartphone through fingerprint recognition, this will also be required when accessing Locked Folder.
When will Locked Folder arrive for everyone
As often happens unfortunately, Google has not provided precise indications on when it will start releasing Locked Folder on all Google Photos, limiting itself to saying that it will be available soon. The distribution of the new feature could start in a couple of days or weeks.