How to Find and Open the Locked Folder in Google Photos

To open the Locked Folder in Google Photos on Android, tap Collections at the bottom of the app, then Locked Folder, and unlock it with your screen lock, fingerprint or face. On iPhone and iPad, the Locked Folder is in the same place and unlocks with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. On a computer, open Google Photos in a browser and click Locked Folder in the menu; items appear there only if Locked Folder backup is turned on.

Photos and videos in the Locked Folder do not appear in your photo grid, albums, search, memories or other apps.

What the Locked Folder is

The Locked Folder is a protected space inside Google Photos for photos and videos you do not want others to see when they browse your phone. It is secured with your device's screen lock, and its contents are hidden everywhere else in Google Photos and in other apps on the phone.

By default, items in the Locked Folder are stored only on your device. Since 2023, Google Photos can also back them up to your Google Account, which makes them available on your other devices.

Where to find the Locked Folder on each device

Open the Locked Folder on Android

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Tap Collections at the bottom (called Library in older versions of the app).
3. Scroll to Locked Folder and tap it.
4. Unlock it with your device's screen lock. The first time, tap Set up Locked Folder.

The Locked Folder needs Android 6 or later and an active screen lock. On Pixel phones, the camera can save photos straight to the Locked Folder: tap the gallery icon in the camera and choose Locked Folder.

Open the Locked Folder on iPhone and iPad

Open the Google Photos app, tap Collections, then Locked Folder, and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The iPhone app shows the items stored locally in its Locked Folder plus anything you backed up from other devices.

Open the Locked Folder on a computer

Go to photos.google.com, sign in and select Locked Folder in the menu. Google may ask you to sign in again before it shows the contents. The web shows only items that were backed up; items saved only on a phone stay on that phone.

Move photos in and out

To move items into the Locked Folder, select them in Google Photos, tap the three-dot menu and choose Move to Locked Folder. To move them back, open the Locked Folder, select the items and tap Move. Moving an item into the Locked Folder removes it from albums and shared albums.

Items in the Locked Folder cannot be shared or opened by other apps. Move an item out first if you want to share it.

Turn on Locked Folder backup

Locked Folder backup keeps your private items safe if you lose your phone. Open Google Photos, tap your profile picture, go to Photos settings > Backup and turn on Back up Locked Folder; you need to unlock the folder first. You can also back up single items: open the Locked Folder, long-press the items and tap Back up.

Items that are not backed up exist only on that device. You lose them if you uninstall Google Photos, clear its app data, reset the phone or lose it.

Locked Folder not showing: fixes

If you cannot find the Locked Folder, check these points:

• Update Google Photos to the latest version from Google Play or the App Store.
• Look under Collections, not in the photo grid or albums.
• Set a screen lock on the device; Android does not show the feature without one.
• Work and school accounts and fully managed devices may not support Locked Folder.
• On the web, the folder appears empty until backup is turned on for at least one device.

FAQ

Related: how to delete all your Google history and how to auto-delete Google activity.