10 Apps For Hiding Photos And Other Files On Android

Our smartphones have become the nexus of our digital, always-online lives. They store our family photos, help us do our banking at all hours of the day, stand in for our computers to get emails replied to, and provide weather forecasts. It's not hyperbole to say that our smartphones represent who we are as a person, intermingling our personal and professional lives in one internet-connected, cloud-connected device.

With all of our data stored in one place, you wouldn't think twice about locking your smartphone behind fingerprint sensors, facial recognition systems, pin codes, passwords, and security keys. Those keep our private things safe when we're not around, but offer no security at all during those times when someone else has access to your device. Maybe you handed your phone to a coworker to show them vacation pics or something cute your kids had done. Or your kid wants to play a game because they're bored waiting in the queue at the local store. Whatever the reason, once your phone is out of your hands, the default settings make it impossible to stop them from browsing. We've rounded up the best 10 apps to hide files, photos, videos, audio, and even apps from anyone who could access your phone when it's unlocked.

Most Android phones come with Google apps preinstalled, which provide all the tools to hide photos, videos, and files from prying eyes. These inbuilt tools are simple to use but don't have the additional features of third-party file, photo, or video-hiding apps.

Google Photos:

1. Open Google Photos.

2. Tap on Library, Utilities, then Locked Folder.

3. Select Set up Locked Folder.

4. Follow the instructions to set up.

5. Select the photos or videos you want to hide.

6. Tap the More icon, then select Move to Locked Folder.

7. Select Move.

To find them again, look for Utilities in the Photos app library.

Google Files:

1. Open the Files app to set up your Safe Folder.

2. Scroll down and tap on Browse, then navigate to Collections.

3. Select Safe Folder and follow the instructions.

4. To move files, select the files, tap the More icon, and Move to Safe Folder.

5. The Safe Folder will always be found in the Collections view.

The pin code or pattern you created when setting up your Safe Folder will unlock your hidden files. Google says that if you reset your Safe Folder, all the contents will be lost, so ensure you save them in another folder first.

Vaulty lets you hide photos, videos, and now files (in beta) from anyone's eyes but yours behind pin- or biometrically-locked folders. It links to Google Drive to back up your secured folders, so you don't lose your valuable data, even if your device is lost or stolen. It can be disguised as a calculator or a stock price lookup app. Take pictures of your important documents like your driver's license, birth certificate, or deeds, and lock them behind encryption. Decoy vaults are also possible, so you can let your friends think you unlocked your secrets for them. The UI is dated, and some elements didn't line up correctly on our test device.

Vaulty is free to download and use, with premium features locked behind a $9.99 monthly subscription. Those features include removing in-app ads, using biometric locks, creating unlimited "extra-secure" vaults, and the best feature — the app will take a picture from the selfie camera if anyone enters the wrong password while trying to unlock it.

Keepsafe locks your photos and videos behind private albums. The free version locks every album behind the same passcode. Upgrading to a premium account unlocks the ability to set per-album passwords. Albums can be locked by biometrics, pin code, or pattern unlocks. Premium features include the ability to theme the app, get break-in alerts if the password is incorrectly entered, a fake pin that opens a decoy vault, the ability to disguise the app, and individual passwords for your albums. You also get private cloud storage to back up the images you are protecting in the app.

Keepsafe is free to download, and you get 31 days of complimentary Premium access before you have to pay to continue using the premium features. The subscription is $9.99 monthly, $23.99 yearly, or $149.99 for a lifetime license. The premium features include a 10,000-item private cloud, trash recovery for deleted items, no in-app ads, and every feature in the app being unlocked.

Hidden behind a fully functional calculator app, Calculator Photo Vault has some other privacy features that improve online security. The in-app browser has private browsing with DuckDuckGo, Qwant, Search Encrypted, and Google as search engine choices. To get into your vaults, you type your four-to-eight-digit pin code into the calculator and hit the equals sign. If you forget your pin code, typing "11223344" into the calculator and pressing equals opens up your backup question so you can get back into your encrypted vault. Unfortunately, the in-app ads are intrusive, opening every so often when you switch between menus with unskippable videos.

Calculator Photo Vault is free to use with in-app ads. To remove those ads and unlock premium features, the subscription is $0.99 monthly, $3.99 yearly, or $14.99 for a lifetime license. The premium features unlocked with the subscription include a theme manager, fingerprint unlock, intruders get their selfies taken, and a fake password can be generated. It also blocks screenshots in the app, and the unlock password changes to the system time.

FotoX can hide photos and videos from prying eyes. Anything moved into the private albums gets locked behind biometrics, pattern, pin code, or a fake app crash unlock. Any photos taken inside the app get automatically secured, and won't show up in your Photos app. Any tries to unlock the vaults will get a selfie taken of the person trying and the time and date they tried.

The app requests device administrator permissions on first launch, which is a much higher level of permissions than any other app on this list requests. That's because FotoX does one thing that none of the other apps offer — the ability to protect the app from deletion. If someone gets your device, they can't remove your protected albums, losing your saved images and videos. The app also asks for call and messaging control. This is so it can open a sharing menu after every call or message to share images with your family or whoever you just spoke to.

Hide Pictures & Videos – FotoX is free to download and use. A $1.99 monthly subscription unlocks 5GB of cloud backup, premium graphical themes for the app, and the removal of in-app advertising.

One of Android's best features is how customizable it can be. Replacing the stock launcher with another, like Nova Launcher, brings new features like custom app icons and the ability to hide apps completely. Note that this method doesn't lock any of the apps away, but it does make it harder for someone to get to them in the limited time they might have your phone.

1. Open Nova Launcher by long-pressing the home screen, then the Settings icon.

2. Select "App & widget drawers" from the menu.

3. Scroll down until you see "Hide apps," and select it.

4. Tap the checkbox next to every app you want to be hidden.

5. Leave this menu by tapping the arrow at the top left or returning to the home screen.

Now, all selected apps will no longer appear in the app drawer. They still appear in the search results or if you have any of their icons pinned to the home screen.

Nova Launcher is free to install and use. To get access to the ability to hide apps in the app drawer, Nova Launcher Prime is a one-time $4.99 fee.