Google Photos 'Locked Folder' feature rolling out to non-Pixel smartphones

As it promised, Google Photos is starting to roll out the Locked Folder feature to Samsung and other non-Pixel phones, Sammobile has reported. The idea is that it keeps your most private photos away from your primary image set and offline, as well. It has only been available on the Pixel 3 or later devices until now, but is now rolling out to older Pixel models too, The Verge noted. 

Locked Folder immediately got tagged as the "nude storage folder" by pundits when it first launched at Google IO 2021 in May. Whether you have those or other sensitive photos, it stores them in a passcode or biometric-secured spot so kids, friends or others won't accidentally stumble across them.

To use the feature, simply launch Google Photos, go to "Library" then the "Utilities" section at the top. Click on that and the feature should appear in a card, provided you have the update from around November 29th. 

It worked just fine for me on Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Fold3 devices, and Android Central reported that it has also appeared on Oppo and OnePlus devices. If you decide to use it, bear in mind that your photos won't be backed up to the cloud, so they'll disappear if you delete Google Photos or wipe/lose your smartphone. Google has more information about the feature here. 

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