How to Hide Photos on Android (and Samsung): Every Method

In short

Android has several ways to hide photos, and they range from a view setting anyone can switch back to real encryption. Hiding an album in your gallery only takes it out of view. Locked Folder, Secure Folder and Private Space put photos behind a lock. Only some options encrypt them with a key of their own – and every option leaves the copies in the trash, in cloud backups and in chat apps untouched.

The quick comparison

Method	Hidden from gallery	Own lock	Encrypted (as documented)	Survives a new phone
Samsung Gallery: Hide albums	Gallery view only	No	Not claimed	Not documented
Samsung Gallery: Private album (One UI 8.5)	Yes	Screen lock	Not documented	Not documented
Samsung Secure Folder	Yes	Yes	Yes (Knox)	Via Smart Switch; no new backups
Google Photos Locked Folder	Yes	Screen lock	Google's standard practices	Only with its backup on
Files by Google Safe folder	Yes	PIN or pattern	Yes, per Google	Not documented
Android 15 Private Space	Yes, while locked	Optional	Not specified	No – not in phone backups
.nomedia file or dot folder	Gallery apps only	No	No	Yes – they are ordinary files
Vault apps	Usually	Usually	Varies – many don't	Varies

How to hide photos on a Samsung phone

Private album (One UI 8.5, selected Galaxy phones)

Open Gallery, tap Menu at the bottom right and choose Private album.
Confirm your screen lock and choose how notifications should look, then tap Done.
Add photos: select them in Gallery, tap More > Move to private album.

The private album opens with your phone's screen lock or fingerprint, and screenshots are blocked inside it. Anyone who knows your phone's PIN can open it, and Samsung doesn't document whether it is encrypted or how it moves to a new phone.

Hide albums (all recent Samsung phones)

Gallery > Albums > View all > Menu > Hide albums lets you untick albums so they don't show in Gallery. It is a view setting with no lock and no encryption: anyone with your unlocked phone can switch it back, and Samsung itself points to Secure Folder if you want photos fully out of Gallery.

Secure Folder

Touch and hold photos in Gallery, then More options > Move to Secure Folder. Secure Folder is protected by Samsung Knox and has its own lock – but it no longer makes new backups. Our Secure Folder guide covers it in detail.

Samsung Secure Folder: how it works and what it can't do →

Google Photos Locked Folder (any Android phone)

Open Google Photos and tap Collections > Locked > Set up Locked Folder, confirming with your screen lock.
Select photos, tap Add to > Move to Locked Folder > Move.
Decide on backup: Profile picture > Photos settings > Backup > Back up Locked Folder.

Without its backup, Locked Folder lives only on your phone: uninstalling Google Photos, clearing its data or losing the phone deletes everything in it.

Google Photos Locked Folder: the full guide →

Files by Google: Safe folder

In Files by Google, open Collections > Safe folder, choose a PIN or pattern, then select files and tap More > Move to Safe folder. Google says the files are kept in encrypted storage and can't be opened by other apps. Two cautions from Google itself: someone who gains access to internal storage may reach them, and resetting a forgotten PIN deletes the files.

Android 15 Private Space

Settings > Security & privacy > Private space creates a separate area that is stopped and hidden while locked. You can add photos with + > Add files and choose Copy or Move. It is better at hiding apps than photos: it isn't included in phone backups, a forgotten lock can't be recovered, and Google notes it can be revealed through adb access, device logs or other apps. Choosing Copy leaves the original in your gallery.

Xiaomi, OnePlus and Motorola

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO: press and hold an album in Gallery and tap Hide; hidden albums come back via Gallery settings > View hidden albums. The Private album needs a Mi account.
OnePlus: Settings > Privacy > Private Safe on OxygenOS 12 – newer versions may differ.
Motorola: Moto Secure > Secure folder, with a PIN, pattern or password. Resetting a forgotten lock deletes everything inside.

The .nomedia trick – and why it's weak

Put photos in a folder that contains an empty file named .nomedia, or give the folder a name that starts with a dot, and gallery apps stop showing them. That's all it does. Any file manager can show the files – Samsung's My Files has a “Show hidden system files” switch – and a computer ignores .nomedia completely. Treat it as tidying, not privacy.

Vault apps: hidden is not the same as encrypted

A 2017 study of 18 Android vault apps with about 220 million downloads found that 7 stored passwords in plain text and many didn't encrypt photos at all; a 2022 study found most disguises easy to uncover. If you use a vault app, choose one that explains its encryption in detail and gives you a recovery key only you hold.

Calculator vault apps: what the research found →

The mistakes that leave photos visible

The trash: Samsung's Recycle bin and Google Photos' Trash keep deleted photos for 30 days. Empty them after hiding something.
Cloud copies: Google Photos backs up the folders you choose, not just the camera, and Samsung cloud copies can reappear in Gallery.
Copies and edits: moving a photo into Locked Folder moves only the original – copies and edited versions stay where they are.
Chat apps: WhatsApp and others keep their own copies of photos you sent or received.
Copy instead of Move: copying into Private Space or a vault leaves the original in your gallery.
No recovery plan: Private Space and many vaults can't be reopened if you forget the lock.

Frequently asked questions

How do I hide photos on my Samsung phone?

On One UI 8.5 (select Galaxy devices), select photos in Gallery > More > Move to private album, which is locked with your screen lock and blocks screenshots. On any Galaxy you can hide whole albums (Gallery > Albums > View all > Menu > Hide albums), but that only removes them from Gallery's view. For a separate, Knox-protected space use Secure Folder (select > More options > Move to Secure Folder).

Where do hidden photos go on Samsung?

Samsung doesn't document any change of location for 'Hide albums' — it is a Gallery view setting, and users report hidden albums still showing in other apps' pickers. Photos moved to Secure Folder leave the regular Gallery and live inside Secure Folder's own Gallery/My Files.

Can someone see my hidden photos on a computer or in a file manager?

If you hid them with a .nomedia file or a dot folder, yes: file managers can show hidden files (Samsung My Files has 'Show hidden system files'), and a .nomedia file hides nothing on Windows. For Locked Folder Google only says items aren't available to other apps on the phone; PC visibility isn't documented.

Does Google Photos Locked Folder back up to the cloud?

Optionally. Since Google's Aug 2023 rollout you can turn on Profile > Photos settings > Backup > Back up Locked Folder (general backup must be on) or back up items manually. Without it, items stay only on that device.

What happens to Locked Folder photos if I uninstall Google Photos?

Items that weren't backed up are lost if you uninstall Google Photos, clear its app data, or lose or damage the phone.

Is Android Private space good for hiding photos?

It hides apps and files in a separate profile that's stopped and hidden while locked (Android 15+), but it isn't included in device backups, the lock can't be recovered, and Google warns it can be revealed through adb, device logs or other apps.

How do I hide photos on Android without an app?

Built-in options: Google Photos Locked Folder, Files by Google Safe folder, Android 15 Private space, or your phone maker's tool (Samsung Secure Folder/Private album, Xiaomi hidden album, OnePlus Private Safe, Motorola Secure folder). The .nomedia trick also works without an app but only keeps photos out of gallery apps.

Are photo vault apps on Android safe?

Not automatically. A 2017 study of 18 Android vault apps found 7 storing passwords in cleartext and many not encrypting photos/videos; a 2022 study of 20 vault apps found most could be uncovered with basic Android knowledge. Look for apps that clearly state they encrypt files, not just hide them.

How long do deleted photos stay in the trash?

Samsung Gallery's Recycle bin keeps them 30 days; Google Photos Trash keeps them 30 days. Empty the bin to remove them sooner.

Sources

Based on Samsung, Google, Android, Xiaomi and Motorola help pages, AOSP documentation, academic research and tech press, checked on 9 November 2026. Menus differ between phones and software versions.