Capture and Save Directly to Google Photos’ Locked Folder

  1. Navigate to the Camera app on your Pixel and tap on it to open the same.
  2. Once the Camera app is open, tap on the folder icon in the top right corner of the app.
  3. A drop-down menu will open in front of you. Tap Locked Folder to set it as the default saving space for photos you will capture next.
  4. Once set, the folder icon will change into a lock. Now tap on the shutter button to take photos as you normally do and all the photos will be saved directly to the Locked Folder of your Google Photos app. Tap on the lock icon at the top of the screen inside the Camera app to change the location back to Gallery if you no longer need privacy and security. Pro Tip: Top 8 Ways to Fix Pixel Camera App Not Working.
  5. Does the locked folder work on iPhones and iPads? Unfortunately no. Google Photos’ locked folder feature is restricted to Android only but works on any Android phone and not exclusively on Pixels. Note: The ability to capture and save photos directly to the locked folder inside Google Photos is a Pixel-exclusive feature.
  6. Is the Google photos locked folder backed up to the cloud? No. You need to be cautious about what you put in the locked folder, as it’s not backed up on the cloud at all. So this is a trade-off. You get privacy and security but no backups.
  7. What happens to locked folder photos if I lose my device? You’ll lose access to all those locked photos as they are not backed up. So, there’s no way to recover them if you lose your device. On the flip side, the thief won’t be able to access them either.
  8. What if I forget the pin/password to the locked folder? The locked folder is protected by your phone’s pin/password/pattern. So if you forget that, you’ll be unable to access both your device and the locked folder inside Google Photos app.
  9. What happens to photos and videos in Google Photos locked folder if I uninstall or delete app? All data will be deleted forever so don’t uninstall Google Photos.
  10. Can I only save photos to Google Photos Locked Folder on Pixel directly? No. You can also record video using your Camera app and save it directly to the locked folder inside Google Photos app.

Google Photos Locked Folder

Locked Folder was first introduced to Pixel but later made available to all other Android devices. So, to use the Locked Folder, you just need to install the Google Photos app on your phone. After that, you can move all your private photos to the locked folder or you can just capture and save directly to the Locked Folder using the above-mentioned steps. Did you know that you can customize your Pixel lock screen? Here are the best Google Pixel lock screen settings to customize Always-on-Display, Lock screen clock style, and much more.