Google Photos is getting a new feature today, as announced at Google I/O. There’s a new passcode protected Locked Folder in Google Photos, so you can keep photos you don’t want others to see, out of your library.
We all often times will hand our phone over to someone to see a photo. And of course, they scrolled down in your library and might have seen something you didn’t want them to see. Like some sensitive photos, of your passport or maybe driver’s license. Or even some nudes that you definitely don’t want everyone to see.
This new Locked Folder is passcode-protected, so you can store those photos separately, and securely. The photos stored in this Locked Folder will not show up in your grid or in shared albums. It can also be unlocked using your fingerprint, or with facial recognition if you are using the Pixel 4.
Don’t worry, Google Photos is also encrypted
Sure, storing photos in a Locked Folder is pretty nice, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be hacked. We’ve all heard about the various iCloud hacks (the real and the fake ones). Luckily, Google does encrypt all of your Photos in Google Photos. That doesn’t mean it can’t be hacked, but it is a lot less likely to happen. As it will be much harder to hack.
This is another feature that Google is debuting in hopes that you won’t leave Photos after it ditches the free, unlimited storage in just a couple of weeks. As of June 1, your unlimited storage will be gone, and all photos you upload will count against your storage, unless you are using a Pixel device.
Google is bringing this feature to its Pixel smartphones first. And it’ll launch on more Android devices later this year. No word on why it is coming to Pixel devices first, since it’s an app-based feature, but it could require something in Android 12, to work properly.