Last May, Google announced the launch of a secure folder for its Google Photos service. This, as the name implies, is a place where users can store their photos and videos away from the eyes of others.
This feature was made available to Pixel smartphone users for the first time in June. Now Google delivers on its promise and offers all Android users the same privacy functionality.
Google Photos now has a private folder for storing photos and videos
Google had promised that, by the end of 2021, it would release Secure Folder within Photos for all Android users. The good news that we bring today proves that the American company kept its word and users can only benefit from it.
This feature implemented in Google Photos offers the user a place where they can store photos or videos without worrying about others obtaining that content, it is a local storage folder with various protection measures.
In fact, any content that you put in this location will not be copied to the Google Photos servers. An important underline to the fact that the storage is only done locally, therefore anything you move from the normal Google Photos folders to this location will disappear from the cloud.
Once inside this folder, various restrictions will be imposed, such as blocking its sharing, taking screenshots or recording the screen. Restrictive measures that aim to guarantee that only the user has access to that content.
To reverse these limitations, simply delete any photos or videos from the Secure Folder and transfer it to another folder. However, we emphasize that this will cause that content to return to Google’s servers and be more likely to be intercepted by third parties.
How to activate Safe Paste on your Android smartphone
To enjoy all the functions of this new feature, the user must open their Google Photos application. Then go to the tab library and select the option Management at the top of the screen.
Once you get to this menu, you should find the Safe Paste option in the Organize Your Photo Library menu. There, you need to choose Configure Secure Folder and follow all the instructions presented to you.
This new feature is available through a server-side update. This means that even if you have the latest version of the Google Photos app installed, you may still not be able to join Safe Folder.
The last scenario is the one I’m in as well, that is, I still don’t have access to this valuable Google Photos feature. Indeed, we will have to wait a few more days for the news to reach all users.