Google Photos is rolling out enhancements that offer a more secure way to manage sensitive images across all devices. The Locked Folder functionality, previously exclusive to Android users, is now expanded to iOS and web users. This feature provides an additional layer of protection by allowing users to safeguard specific photos and videos behind a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.
Google Photos’ encrypted “Locked Folder” can be backed up to the cloud
For users who have sensitive images or videos they’d prefer to keep away from prying eyes, the Locked Folder in the Google Photos app offers a secure solution. Not only does this feature offer password-based protection, but it also ensures that the protected files remain hidden from your photo feed and other apps. This can be particularly handy in avoiding awkward scenarios while browsing through your app libraries.
In addition to the expansion of Locked Folder to iOS, Google Photo’s users can now back up their encrypted content to the cloud. This lets users access their secure images across multiple devices through Google’s cloud service. Google emphasizes (via The Verge) that this cloud backup is conducted with robust security measures, such as HTTPS and encryption at rest, to ensure the safety of the stored content states.
The search engine giant recognizes that some users might be cautious about storing sensitive content in the cloud. Therefore, for those who prefer to keep their private content stored solely on their devices, the Locked Folder feature allows them to do so securely without utilizing the cloud-based backup option.
Google Photos has also released an updated settings page. This revamped layout offers improved visibility and management of privacy controls and other settings. The new settings page replaces the previous setup, categorizing options under sections such as privacy, backup, sharing, notifications, and more.
These enhancements to Google Photos are set to roll out starting today. Note that the release may take some time to reach all devices.
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