Google Photos’ Locked Folder Won’t Sync Across Devices

Recently, Google revealed an upcoming feature for Google Photos in the form of a Locked Folder. This basically creates a folder on Google Photos that is password protected and photos stored in there won’t be visible while scrolling through your camera roll, thus saving you from potential embarrassment or awkward moments when handing someone your phone.

However, it appears that there is a catch. It seems that Locked Folders will not be synced across your Google accounts and devices. Instead, it will be limited to just the device you’re using it with. This means that if you happen to own multiple devices that share the same Google account, those devices won’t have the Locked Folder you previously setup on your primary device.

So does this mean that people can see your private photos on another device, like your computer or tablet? According to Google, photos added to the Locked Folder will be removed from things like Memories or photo print orders. They will also not appear on smart displays or Chromecast as a screensaver, so you can rest assured on that front. However, the company does warn that it could take up to 30 minutes for photos to be removed, so don’t expect to see the changes right away.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Google, google photos, Privacy