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How to hide photos and videos on Android and iPhone In the same way that you wouldn’t give your home address or phone number to just anyone, you also shouldn’t give your photographs to just anybody. The majority of people have a few photographs that they are pleased to show other people, but the remaining photographs will be kept in a private collection in order to protect your privacy and that of your family. If you want to show your boss, a coworker, or your best friend a cute video of your cat doing something, you might occasionally hand over your phone to do so. However, there is no guarantee that they will stop there. The gallery on your mobile device stores all of the photographs that you have taken with your smartphone.
The eyes of an inquisitive person could very easily see images that you would prefer they not see. You might have photographs that contain sensitive information, ideas for presents for someone you care about, or other things that you’d rather keep to yourself. It is simple to conceal images from view within the gallery, regardless of the motivation. You are responsible for ensuring that your photos are kept private at all times and that arbitrary users are unable to swipe through them to view additional ones. Because it is possible that the temptation will be too great, How to hide photos and videos on Android and iPhone by using either the settings or an app that was not developed by Google. The procedure is broken down for you here.
How to hide photos and videos on Android
- Open the Google Photos app.
- Select the photos or videos you want to hide.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
- Select “Move to Locked Folder” from the menu.
- The selected photos or videos will be moved to the Locked Folder, which is a secure folder that can only be accessed with a PIN or password.
Use Digital Private Vault
- Download Digital Private Vault from the Play Store.
- When you launch the app for the first time you’ll need to set-up a PIN and a recovery email. Once done, you are all set to import, hide and lock your photo or videos in the app.
- The app also allows you to create private notes to store your sensitive data such as passwords, bank account details and other confidential information.
- Everything is securely hidden and locked behind a pin.
How to hide photos and videos on iPhone
- Open the Photos app.
- Select the photos or videos you want to hide.
- Tap the “Share” icon.
- Scroll down and select “Hide.”
- The selected photos or videos will be moved to the Hidden album, which can only be accessed by going to the “Albums” tab and then selecting “Hidden.”
How to Hide Photos on Mac
- Open Photos.
- Select the photo or video that you want to hide.
- Control-click the photo, then choose Hide Photo. You can also hide a photo from the menu bar when you choose Image > Hide Photo. Or you can press Command-L to hide a photo.
- Confirm that you want to hide the photo or video.
Importance of Hiding Photos and Videos
- Privacy Protection: Hiding photos and videos helps protect your privacy by making sure that sensitive or personal information is hard for people who aren’t supposed to see it to get to.
- Stopping Unauthorized Access: It stops people from getting in without your permission, adding an extra layer of security to keep other people from seeing or using your private media.
- Hide photos and videos: This is an important part of keeping personal memories safe because it keeps special moments private and stops them from being deleted or changed by accident.
- Avoiding Embarrassment: Hiding certain photos or videos can help people avoid feeling awkward or embarrassed if someone else uses their device, which can keep personal content from being seen by the wrong people.
- Protecting Private Data: A lot of the time, people store private data in their digital media, like important documents or private photos. It is very important to hide these files to keep private information safe.
- Avoiding Accidental Deletes: Hiding content can help protect against accidental deletions, making it less likely that you will lose important or irreplaceable photos and videos.
- Keeping the Gallery Clean: Hiding photos and videos helps keep the gallery clean and organized, which makes it easier to move around in the media collection without a lot of extra stuff.
Pros and Cons of Using Third-Party Apps
| Aspect | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Protection | – Enhanced privacy for sensitive content | – Security concerns if the app is not trustworthy |
| User-Friendly Interface | – Easy to use and navigate | – Some apps may have complex features or interfaces |
| Additional Security Features | – Passwords, PINs, or biometric protection options | – Forgotten passwords may lead to data loss |
| Media Organization | – Ability to categorize and organize hidden content | – Apps may not support all file types or formats |
| Inconspicuous Appearance | – Disguised as utility apps to avoid suspicion | – May be detected by advanced users or security tools |
| Cloud Integration | – Some apps offer cloud storage options for backups | – Concerns about data security on third-party servers |
| Customization Options | – Themes, decoy modes, and other personalization | – Excessive customization may lead to usability issues |
Comparison Between Android and iPhone Privacy Features
| Privacy Feature | Android | iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System Control | Users have more control over settings and customization | Limited customization, more controlled by Apple |
| App Permissions | Granular app permissions, users can control individual permissions | App permissions are more controlled by the system |
| App Store Screening | Google Play Store may have more lax screening policies | App Store has stricter app screening policies |
| Biometric Authentication | Supports various biometric methods (e.g., fingerprint, face recognition) | Primarily uses Face ID (recent models) or Touch ID |
| Location Tracking Control | Users can control location access on a per-app basis | Similar control over location access on a per-app basis |
| Encryption | Device encryption is available but varies by device and manufacturer | Strong device encryption across all iPhones |
| Ad Tracking | Users can limit ad tracking through settings | App Tracking Transparency requires user permission |
| Privacy Labels (App Store) | App information includes detailed privacy labels | Privacy nutrition labels for apps in the App Store |
| Cross-App Data Sharing Control | Android offers more control over cross-app data sharing | App Tracking Transparency restricts cross-app tracking |
Questions and Answers
You can switch between Incognito tabs and regular Chrome tabs. You only browse in private when you use an Incognito tab. You can also choose to block third-party cookies when you open a new Incognito window. Learn more about cookies.
Do hidden photos go to iCloud. Having iCloud Photos enabled, many users are asking “Do hidden photos go to iCloud?” The answer is yes, they do. Although they won’t be displayed in the main photo field, so you wouldn’t see anything Hidden without going to the hidden folder.
On iOS 16 and later, you can move your most private photos and videos to the Hidden album in the Photos app, which is protected by Face ID or Touch ID. Nothing in the Hidden album will appear in your library or in other albums, and you can unhide them at any time.