How to lock photos on Android and iOS phones

We all have at least one friend, relative, or sibling who can never return our phone after looking at one picture in our gallery. After all, we wouldn’t want them to see some of our private (often embarrassing) selfies or welfies. So, what can you do apart from feeling anxious? Lock those photos of course. 

You can lock your photos and ensure privacy before handing your Android or iOS smartphone off to someone else. Read on to find out how.

How to lock photos on an Android phone

Setting up a locked folder on Google Photos  

If you are using a phone running Android version 6 or later, you can protect your sensitive photos and videos in a folder with screen lock or fingerprint lock on the Google Photos app. 

To set up the folder, open the app, go to Library, and click on Utilities. You’ll find a Locked folder option at the bottom. Once you tap on it, you’ll be prompted to enter a password that is the same as your device password. On typing it, you can select the photos and videos you want to transfer to the locked folder.

These photos and videos are neither backed up nor shared, as they get stored exclusively inside Google Photos. You can always pull out any hidden photos back to the gallery by selecting the image and choosing the Move option.

Using Notes app

Yes, you read that right. You can actually hide a picture using Notes. 

Open your Notes app and tap on the Camera icon that you see below. Next, select a photo from your gallery to add it to the note. After the image is displayed on your note, click on the three dots icon at the top right. Select the Hide option that you will find from here, and your picture will be secured.  

To access your hidden notes anytime, open the Notes app and go to the All Notes option. Choose the Hidden Notes option and enter your screen lock to access them anytime.

How to lock photos on an iPhone

Setting up hidden albums on iOS  

To hide multiple photos and videos, the quickest method is to select them all in the Photos app and click on the three-dots icon you’ll find at the bottom right of your screen. Choose the Hide option, and it will be instantaneously transferred to the hidden album.

To access your secret album, go to Albums from the Photos app and click Hidden under the Utilities section. You can unlock it using the face lock or numeric pin. However, you can move out your sensitive pictures or videos anytime by selecting the files and choosing the Unhide option from the three-dots icon.

Secure sensitive photos using Notes app  

Just like Android phones, you can also lock your photos on your iPhone using the Notes app. Open your notes app and create a new note. Tap the camera icon above your keyboard and export the videos or photos you wish to lock.  

ALSO READ: How to change the password on an iPhone

Once you have successfully transferred the photo, click on the three-dots icon at the top right of the screen. Select the Lock option, and you will find two ways to lock your notes.

You can use your iPhone passcode or create a separate password to access your locked notes. Based on your preference, you can either select the Use iPhone Passcode option or the Create Password option to lock your photos and videos. You can access your locked files on iPhone from notes by entering the password anytime.  

However, when exiting from the locked notes, remember to tap the padlock icon in the top right until it shows locked again.   

Now that all your private photos and videos are in safe lockers, spread memories amongst your friends and families by handing off your phone stress-free! 

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