How to hide certain photos on android ?

Each of us has certain photos that we would like no one to view. Most of the time, these are personal or intimate photos that you do not want to share with everyone, especially on social networks but also with people who could have access to the device. With the recurring concerns about the protection of privacy on smartphones and tablets, it is necessary to increase the level of security of your Android device and the data it stores.

Discover different methods to easily hide certain photos on Android and protect your privacy !

Hide photos in the gallery without a dedicated android app

This method is very simple: just create a file called .nomedia at the root of the photos directory that you want to protect. Remember the dot (.) At the beginning of the filename, otherwise it will not work. Simply creating this file will hide the photos in the folder in your Photo Gallery app.

You can either create this file with a file explorer for Android. Most smartphone manufacturers provide one with their version of Android or you can download it such as File Commander, which exists in free version (but with ads). The other solution is to create the file from a computer after connecting your phone to your PC.

Operate certain features of the android system

Older versions of Android do not offer the option of securing or disabling access to certain photos. However, some brands offer devices with a security overlay that allows you to hide certain files or photos.

Hide photos on a Samsung smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, considered one of the best smartphones of the brand, offers a well-known secure mode. It gives you the ability to protect videos, photos and files. Here are the steps to follow:

• Settings – Lock screen and security – Secure folder
• Choose the type of access: diagram, code or password with the optional fingerprint.
• Once you have defined your access type, activate private mode to access protected files.

To hide images or other types of files, go to the Gallery, choose the file in question and from the additional options menu choose “Add Files“. It should be noted that this intervention is reversible.

Hide some photos on an LG smartphone

The LG G5 is one of the smartphones with the file security option.

Just go to the Settings – Fingerprints and security – Content lock menu.

Then choose the type of lock : scheme or password with optional fingerprints.

To hide certain photos, go to the Gallery, choose the photo you want to hide, press the 3 dots at the top right, press More, then Lock. You can repeat this operation for each photo you want to hide or create a folder, add all the photos concerned and hide the entire folder.

To display the hidden images, go to the Gallery, tap on the 3 dots at the top then Show locked files. You must enter your password, your scheme or use your fingerprint to unlock the files.

The latest versions of Android also offer a private space (or private mode according to the terminology chosen by the manufacturer) which allows you to have a space secured by a password where you can have your private photos or sensitive data.

Use applications to hide photos on android

If you have other phone models that don’t have this option, you can install Android apps that allow you to hide certain photos on your Android smartphone. Note that these applications to hide photos mostly exist in free or paid version (without ads and with more features) :

Vaulty

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theronrogers.vaultyfree

Vaulty is a free application that allows you to lock certain photos on your smartphone. To do this, simply add the photos or videos concerned in the application, they become accessible only after entering a PIN code or password.

What characterizes this application is the backup option which automatically creates recovery versions of your files. In fact, it protects your photos and stores them in the Cloud on your Google Drive.

Vaulty also gives you the option to protect different photos with different passwords. And finally, the most impressive feature of this application is that it can take pictures of anyone who wants to access protected files !

Keep safe

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kii.safe

This is another popular, intuitive and easy use application. It offers you a protection by a Pin code, a diagram or by fingerprints. You can add your photos and videos and they will also be stored in a private cloud.

This application offers a very special option, it allows you to send photos in secure mode with a lifespan of 20 seconds after which they are deleted.

A paid version of this application offers additional security features allowing you to hide your photos or videos even more effectively. Finally, Keep Safe offers you the possibility to take photos and hide them directly in your “safe“.

GalleryVault

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gallery.galleryvault

It offers features similar to those previous applications while incorporating more protection. In fact, it provides protection against being uninstalled and can appear as other applications so as not to attract attention. You can also store your photos and videos in a well-secured private cloud to recover them in case your device is lost or stolen.

LockMyPix Photo Vault

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fourchars.lmpfree

It is also a fairly powerful security application. It allows you to hide certain photos and videos by an ultra powerful protection mode. Easy to use and with an intuitive user interface, this application allows you to even hide it from your application menu.

To make your files more secure, LockMyPix Photo Vault has a feature that prevents screenshots when protected photos or videos are unlocked.

The paid version of this application offers you the possibility of creating fake accesses which allow you to unlock false files pretending to unlock the files you wish to hide. The only disadvantage is that LockMyPix Photo Vault does not offer file backup features on a private cloud like the other applications mentioned above.

Hide Something

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colure.app.privacygallery

It’s also an easy-to-use app that lets you hide photos by simply sharing them with the Hide Something app.

It offers a customizable interface with many themes and is distinguished by the particularity of not appearing in the list of applications used recently.

In addition, Hide Something ensures a backs up for your files on Google Drive and gives you the ability to access them even on a PC.