31st May 2021, Kathmandu
A smartphone is a very important part of our personal life now. Our personal life is surrounded by the phones that we carry in our pockets. In fact, our gallery holds every moment of our life in the form of photos and videos.
On the other hand, some pictures or videos we want to keep private out of the gallery. But it might be difficult if your phone falls into the wrong hands. For instance, while showing recent pictures to our friends. We can be unaware of their true intentions. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to hide them.
It’s always easier to lock the gallery to avoid such situations. Yet, for the above case, there’s no way to control what a person might swipe next.
Meanwhile, other options include using either device-built-in settings or using a third-party app. This method can hide the photos and videos from the gallery.
Confused about how to do it? Here are some steps you can follow.
Hide photos on your Android phone
Only a few Android phones have a built-in feature to hide right away from the gallery. Hiding means making it disappear from your gallery, not deleting them.
Methods to hide photos and videos on Android Gallery:
Built-in feature on Android
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- Open Gallery to add photos or videos to the folder
- Select the photos and videos and click on Add to the album
- Go to the three-dot icon on the top-right corner
- Select Hide/unhide album
- Now, turn on the toggle, and your videos and photos will be removed from the gallery.
Archive in Google Photos
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- Open the Google Photos app
- Select the images and videos you want to hide
- Tap on the three-dot icon at the top-right corner
- Click on Move to Archive
Hide photos with an app
Various free apps are available at the Google Play Store. Password protection can also be done. Of course, they are very easy to use. Vaulty, LockMyPix, Gallery Lock, Hide Something are some of the best tools available.
Hide photos or videos on your iPhone’s default photos app
All the photos and videos are saved default in iPhone’s photos app. Thus, it’s easier to access all files from the gallery. Also, it can be equally difficult to hide private ones. Is it really that difficult? No, the following steps prove it.
- Open photos app
- Tap on the select button
- Select the photos and videos you want to hide
- Click on the share icon at the bottom left
- Choose the option hide
- Tap on albums, scroll down, and a hidden option to access them
Google Photos
The feature available both on Android and iOS is Google Photos. This app gives users the option to archive photos and videos.
Open Google photos, select the photos and videos you want to hide, tap on the three-dot icon at the top right corner, and then choose the option to move to archive.
Hence, all selected photos and videos are moved into the archive. Similarly, to access them, tap on albums from the bottom and then select the archive folder.
Built-in Apps to Hide Photos and Videos on Android ROMs
Currently, even smartphones are adding features right into the operating system. So there’s no longer a need to use third-party apps from the Play Store.
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Samsung (OneUI)
Samsung has a Secure Folder, an encrypted space where you can store all your photos, videos, and files. Firstly, set up Secure Folder from Settings -> Biometrics and Security -> Secure Folder. Then, set up a PIN and go through other options. Finally, open the Samsung Gallery app and select your photo and move them to Secure Folder.
Native file manager is used to hiding photos and videos. First, select the media files and tap on the 3-dot menu and select Hide. Then, Set up a PIN or password. You can access it from the Hidden file section in File Manager after entering the pin or password.
Realme has a Private Safe. Enable it from Settings -> Security -> Private Safe. After that, you can move your selected photos and videos or any other files to Private Safe.
Enable Lockbox from the native File Manager and set up a PIN. Now, move your media files, including photos and videos, to the Lockbox.
In conclusion, people feel a lot more secure if they can hide their private pictures. They can pass their phones to their friends, parents, colleagues, or workers without being worried. No one will be able to access these files except the mobile owners. At last, they can now easily hide their private photos and videos.
