How to Hide Photos in Google Photos on iPhone
Use Google Photos' Locked Folder. In the app, select the photo, tap Add to, then Move to Locked Folder. It works on iOS 15 and later and opens with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode.
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What do I need to know?
- It uses your iPhone's screen lock. Google says you can't set a separate Locked Folder password.
- Backup is your choice. Without it, items live only on that phone. Delete the app and they are gone.
- Copies are not moved. Edited versions and copies elsewhere stay where they are.
These points come from Google's own help page: hide sensitive photos and videos in Locked Folders.
How do I set up Locked Folder?
- Open the Google Photos app.
- At the bottom, tap Collections, then Locked.
- Tap Set up Locked Folder and unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
Google also offers to turn on backup for Locked Folder at this step.
How do I move a photo into it?
- In Google Photos, tap Photos.
- Select the photo or video.
- At the bottom, tap Add to, then Move to Locked Folder.
- Tap Move.
To see it later, tap Collections → Locked and unlock.
Is the photo still in Apple's Photos app?
Check. If the photo came from your iPhone camera, it may also be in Apple's Photos app. Google says copies are not moved with an item. Open Apple's Photos afterwards and delete the original if it is still there. Then clear it from Recently Deleted, where Apple keeps it for 30 days.
Should I turn on Locked Folder backup?
- Backup on: you can open Locked Folder on other devices signed in to your Google account. It counts toward your Google storage.
- Backup off: items stay on this iPhone only. Google says you lose them if you delete the app or lose the phone.
Google says Locked Folder is protected by its standard encryption practices. It does not describe it as end-to-end encrypted.
Where won't locked photos show up?
Google says they won't appear in the Photos grid, search, albums, shared items or new memories. Other apps with access to your photos can't see them either. You can't share or edit them until you move them out.
Is Locked Folder the same as Archive?
No. Google says archived items can still be accessed and still show up in search. Locked Folder items do not.
What this doesn't protect against
Anyone who knows your iPhone passcode can open Locked Folder. Backed-up items sit with Google under its encryption, not under a key only you hold. A photo already shared with someone stays in their copy.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile keeps photos in a vault that opens with a pattern of its own, not your phone passcode. Each photo is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key made on your iPhone. There is no account and no server, and the developer never holds your keys. Backups go to iCloud already encrypted, and restore with a 9-word recovery phrase.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos. Plus removes the limits for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once. The price is the same every day.