Is Google Photos Locked Folder encrypted?

Short answer: Locked Folder keeps photos out of your library and behind your screen lock, but Google does not describe it as end-to-end encrypted, and it isn't protected by a separate key only you hold. Here's what that means in practice.

What Locked Folder actually does

• Moves selected photos out of your main Google Photos grid.
• Keeps them off your shared library and out of cloud backup (on most setups).
• Requires your device screen lock to open the folder.

That's genuinely useful for privacy from casual snooping. But notice what's missing: a key that's separate from your phone unlock, and any guarantee the files are stored as ciphertext only you can decrypt.

Who can get in?

Because Locked Folder opens with your screen lock, anyone who knows your phone PIN or pattern can typically open it. That's often the exact person you'd want to keep out - someone close enough to know your unlock code. There's also no decoy, so if you're asked to open it, everything is shown.

When Locked Folder is enough

If you just don't want a photo showing up when you hand your phone to a friend, or in your shared album, Locked Folder does the job with zero setup. For low-stakes privacy, it's fine.

When you need real encryption

If the photos must stay unreadable even to someone who knows your phone PIN, or who has copied data off the device, you want a vault that:

• Encrypts files with AES-256 under a key derived from a separate pattern.
• Offers a decoy for the "unlock it now" moment.
• Has no internet path for the files to leak.

For the full feature-by-feature comparison, see Umbra vs Google Photos Locked Folder.