Google Photos Locked Folder: Cross-Device Backup and More

Google Photos Enhances Privacy with Locked Folder Backup, iOS and Web Support Incoming

Since its launch in 2021, Google Photos' Locked Folder feature has garnered praise for its ability to safeguard sensitive images and videos.

However, a common grievance emerged: when users switched to new devices, their Locked Folder contents failed to transfer. Google Photos is now remedying this issue by introducing Locked Folder backup for Android users, with plans to extend this feature to iOS and the web.

Seamless Cross-Device Access

Android users can now effortlessly back up their Locked Folder, ensuring that its contents are readily accessible on any device linked to their Google Photos account.

This includes iPhones, iPads, and the web. This development resolves the significant inconvenience of missing Locked Folder items when transitioning to a new device.

Elevated Privacy and Protection

The Locked Folder remains a valuable tool for individuals seeking to secure sensitive images and videos. In addition to password protection, files stored within the Locked Folder remain hidden from the photo feed and other applications.

This discrete approach helps users avoid any awkward encounters while browsing their app libraries.

Google underscores the robust security of Locked Folder content stored in the cloud, employing advanced encryption measures like HTTPS and encryption at rest to ensure data privacy.

Enhanced Settings Page

In conjunction with these updates, Google Photos introduced a revamped settings page.

This user-friendly layout simplifies the management of privacy controls and other settings, replacing the previous settings page.

The new design incorporates sections for privacy, backup, sharing, notifications, and more.

Google emphasizes that this array of enhancements in Google Photos will begin rolling out today. Please note that it may take some time for these features to become available on your individual devices.

Elevate your image privacy and security with Google Photos' Locked Folder and enjoy effortless access across all your devices. Stay tuned for upcoming support for iOS and the web, further enhancing your photo management experience.

Meanwhile, Google today is also updating Photos settings by grouping everything into high-level menus — Backup, Notifications, Preferences, Sharing, Apps & devices, and Privacy — instead of having a single page that makes for a long scroll. This started rolling out several weeks ago but is now official on Android and iOS.