Just In: Google’s Password-Protected Photos Feature Is Arriving On Newer Pixels

According to 9to5Google, Google’s Locked Folder feature, which allows you to password-protect certain photographs or videos to prevent them from appearing in your main photo library, is now accessible in the new Pixel update. According to Google’s page describing Locked Folder, the function is now only accessible on Pixel devices, beginning with the 3. Google stated the feature will be arriving to other Android phones “throughout the year” when it revealed it at its I/O conference.

If you have an updated Pixel, go to Photos, then Library > Utilities > Locked Folder to set up the Locked Folder. This is where you’ll be able to see your private stuff after it’s set up.

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Existing photographs can be moved to the Locked Folder, which will remove them from your ordinary library as well as any existing Memories where the photo may appear. It’s worth noting that you can’t back up any photographs or videos in the Locked Folder, according to Google, so there’s a trade-off between privacy and convenience here. If you no longer need to keep something private, you can move it out of the Locked Folder.

You can also set the camera to send captured photographs directly to the Locked Folder, preventing them from ever being saved to your usual library, according to Google’s support page. This could be beneficial if you were at a protest and wanted to ensure that any photos you took weren’t accessible to anyone else who might get their hands on your phone. For instance, if you were taking some raunchy selfies that you wanted to keep confidential.

The June Pixel update includes Locked Folder, which is currently trickling out to phones. According to 9to5Google, the update also includes the ability to ask Google Assistant to answer or reject a call, the ability to take astrophotography videos (on Pixel 4 and newer), and a Gboard improvement that places key details (like a phone number) in your keyboard’s suggestion strip after you’ve copied the text to your clipboard.