How to Hide Photos in Google Photos (Android, iPhone & PC) 2026

Google Photos is an excellent way to store, organize, and back up pictures, but not every photo belongs in your main gallery. You may have personal pictures, confidential documents, screenshots, or private videos that you don’t want others to see when they use your phone.

Fortunately, Google Photos provides built-in options to hide photos without deleting them. You can move sensitive pictures to Locked Folder, which protects them using your device’s screen lock, or use Archive to remove unwanted pictures from your main photo timeline.

Both methods work differently. Locked Folder is designed for privacy, while Archive is primarily an organization feature.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to hide photos in Google Photos on Android, iPhone, and PC, how to access your hidden pictures, and how to restore them whenever needed.

How to Hide Photos in Google Photos Using Locked Folder

Locked Folder is Google’s built-in privacy feature for storing sensitive photos and videos.

Unlike Archive, Locked Folder keeps your pictures hidden from the main Google Photos gallery, search results, albums, and memories. The pictures are also unavailable to other apps that access your photos.

You can unlock the folder using your device’s PIN, password, fingerprint, or other supported authentication method.

Important: Locked Folder is not exclusive to Google Pixel smartphones. It is available on supported Android devices, iPhones, iPads, and through Google Photos on the web.

Method 1: Hide Photos in Google Photos on Android

If you’re using an Android smartphone, follow these steps to set up Locked Folder.

Open the Google Photos app.
Tap Collections at the bottom.
Find and select Locked.
Tap Set up Locked Folder if you’re using it for the first time.
Follow the instructions to authenticate using your device’s screen lock.
Complete the setup.

Once the folder is ready, you can start moving private photos into it.

To hide a photo:

Open Google Photos and find the picture you want to hide.
Select the photo or video.
Tap Add to.
Choose Move to Locked Folder.
Tap Move to confirm.

The selected picture will disappear from your regular Google Photos gallery.

You can also select multiple pictures and move them together.

Note: Locked Folder uses your existing device screen lock. You cannot configure a completely separate password for it.

Method 2: Hide Photos in Google Photos on iPhone

Google Photos also supports Locked Folder on iPhones and iPads.

You can protect your private pictures using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode, depending on your device’s authentication settings.

Here’s how to use it:

Launch the Google Photos app on your iPhone.
Tap Collections.
Select Locked.
Follow the instructions to set up Locked Folder.
Authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
Return to your Google Photos gallery.
Select the picture or video you want to hide.
Tap Add to and choose Move to Locked Folder.
Confirm the action.

Your selected pictures will now be stored in Locked Folder instead of appearing in the regular Google Photos timeline.

Keep in mind that Google Photos and Apple’s Photos app are separate applications. If another copy remains in Apple’s Photos library, you may need to hide that copy separately.

Method 3: Hide Photos in Google Photos on PC

You can also access Locked Folder using Google Photos in a web browser.

This is particularly useful when you want to hide pictures that have already been uploaded to your Google account.

Follow these steps:

Open Google Photos on your computer.
Sign in to your Google account.
Click Locked Folder in the navigation menu.
Complete the setup if you haven’t already.
Return to your photo library.
Select the pictures or videos you want to hide.
Click the three-dot menu.
Choose Move to Locked Folder.
Confirm the action.

Your selected pictures will be removed from the regular gallery.

On the web, Locked Folder uses your Google account authentication rather than your phone’s screen lock.

How to Find Hidden Photos in Google Photos

After moving pictures to Locked Folder, you can access them whenever you want.

On Android and iPhone

Open Google Photos.
Tap Collections.
Select Locked.
Authenticate using your device’s screen lock.

Your hidden photos and videos will appear inside the folder.

On PC

Visit photos.google.com.
Sign in to your Google account.
Select Locked Folder.
Complete the required authentication.

You can now view your private pictures.

Remember that photos stored in Locked Folder won’t appear in normal Google Photos searches, albums, or memories.

How to Move Photos Out of Locked Folder

If you want to make a hidden photo visible again, you can move it back to your regular gallery.

Open Google Photos.
Navigate to Collections > Locked.
Unlock the folder.
Select the photo or video you want to restore.
Choose Move out of Locked Folder.
Confirm your selection.

The picture will return to your regular Google Photos library.

Once restored, it can appear in your photo timeline, searches, and other supported Google Photos features.

How to Hide Photos in Google Photos Using Archive

Archive is another built-in Google Photos feature that lets you remove pictures from the main gallery without deleting them.

However, Archive is different from Locked Folder.

Archived photos can still appear in search results, existing albums, and device folders. Anyone who can access your Google Photos account may also be able to open your Archive.

Therefore, Archive is suitable for organizing pictures you don’t want to see frequently, but it shouldn’t be used to protect confidential images.

Archive Photos on Android and iPhone

Follow these steps:

Open Google Photos on your smartphone.
Find the picture or video you want to hide.
Select the image.
Tap the three-dot menu.
Choose Archive.

The selected photo will disappear from your main Photos view.

You can also archive multiple pictures by selecting them together and choosing Archive.

Archive Photos on PC

Open Google Photos.
Sign in to your Google account.
Select the picture you want to archive.
Click the three-dot menu.
Select Archive.

The picture will be removed from your main photo timeline.

You can still find it in Archive or through Google Photos search.

How to Find Archived Photos

To access your archived pictures on Android or iPhone:

Open Google Photos.
Tap Collections.
Select Archive.

All your archived photos and videos will appear here.

On a computer, open Google Photos and select Archive from the navigation menu.

How to Unarchive Photos in Google Photos

You can restore archived photos at any time.

Open Google Photos.
Navigate to Collections > Archive.
Select the picture you want to restore.
Tap the three-dot menu.
Choose Unarchive.

The picture will return to your regular Photos view.

Unarchiving doesn’t create another copy of the image. It simply removes its archived status.

Google Photos Locked Folder vs Archive: What’s the Difference?

Although both features can hide photos from the main gallery, they serve different purposes.

Feature	Locked Folder	Archive
Hides photos from main gallery	Yes	Yes
Requires authentication	Yes	No additional lock
Hides photos from search	Yes	No
Hides photos from albums	Yes	No
Hides photos from memories	Yes	Yes
Protects private pictures	Yes	No
Supports photos and videos	Yes	Yes
Backup available	Yes, separately configurable	Uses regular backup
Available on PC	Yes	Yes

Which should you use?

Choose Locked Folder when you want to keep personal photos, confidential screenshots, or private videos away from anyone casually browsing your gallery.

Use Archive when you simply want to organize your photo timeline by removing receipts, old screenshots, or other pictures that you don’t need to see regularly.

How to Hide Photos From Google Photos and Other Gallery Apps on Android

Some Android users want to hide pictures not only from Google Photos but also from other gallery applications.

One traditional method involves creating a .nomedia file inside a folder.

Android uses this file to tell compatible media-scanning services not to index the folder’s contents.

However, this is not a replacement for Locked Folder.

A .nomedia file doesn’t encrypt your pictures, password-protect them, or remove copies already backed up to your Google account.

Hide Pictures Using a .nomedia File

Open a file manager that supports creating files.
Create a new folder for the pictures you want to hide.
Move the selected pictures into that folder.
Create an empty file named .nomedia inside the folder.
Close your gallery application and allow Android’s media scanner to refresh.

The folder’s contents may stop appearing in gallery applications that rely on Android’s media indexing.

However, some file managers and gallery apps can still access the pictures directly.

If the photos were previously uploaded to Google Photos, their cloud copies may remain visible.

For sensitive pictures, Google’s Locked Folder is the more appropriate option.

How to Back Up Photos in Google Photos Locked Folder

One important thing to understand is that Locked Folder has its own backup settings.

Moving pictures into Locked Folder doesn’t automatically guarantee that they’re safely backed up.

If backup is disabled, your hidden pictures may exist only on your device.

You could permanently lose them if you uninstall Google Photos, clear its app data, factory reset your phone, or lose your device.

To enable Locked Folder backup:

Open Google Photos.
Tap your profile picture.
Navigate to Photos settings > Backup.
Select Back up Locked Folder.
Unlock the folder.
Enable backup.

Your hidden pictures can then be backed up to your Google account.

You can also manually back up individual items from Locked Folder.

Important: Backed-up Locked Folder items count toward your Google account storage quota.

Why Are My Hidden Photos Still Showing in Google Photos?

Sometimes, you may notice that a picture remains visible even after moving it into Locked Folder.

This usually happens because another copy exists elsewhere.

Google Photos moves the selected item, but it doesn’t automatically move every duplicate, edited version, or copy saved by another person.

Check the following:

Duplicate pictures in your main gallery.
Edited versions of the original image.
Copies stored in other device folders.
Previously shared pictures.
Copies saved in another gallery application.

If you previously shared a picture with someone and they saved their own copy, moving your version into Locked Folder won’t remove theirs.

You must locate and handle each remaining copy separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide photos in Google Photos without deleting them?

Yes. You can use Locked Folder or Archive to hide pictures without deleting them. Locked Folder protects your photos using authentication, while Archive removes them from your main photo timeline.

Can I password-protect photos in Google Photos?

Yes. Locked Folder protects photos using your device’s screen lock on mobile or Google account authentication on the web. However, you cannot configure a separate, independent Locked Folder password.

Can I hide photos in Google Photos on iPhone?

Yes. Google Photos supports Locked Folder on iPhone and iPad. You can use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode to access your hidden pictures.

Will I lose my photos if I uninstall Google Photos?

You may lose photos stored in Locked Folder if they haven’t been backed up. Enable Locked Folder backup before uninstalling the app, clearing its data, or resetting your device.

Conclusion

Hiding photos in Google Photos is straightforward once you understand the difference between Locked Folder and Archive.

If privacy is your main concern, Locked Folder is the appropriate option because it keeps pictures away from your regular gallery, searches, albums, and other applications.

If you only want to organize your photo library, Archive offers a quicker alternative without changing how your pictures are normally accessed.

Whichever method you choose, remember to check your backup settings and look for duplicate copies before assuming that your private pictures are completely hidden.