Hide gallery photos and other files on Android

For a modern person, a smartphone has become more than a means of communication. Using mobile gadgets, we manage bank accounts; they also store personal information, the distribution of which may be undesirable. Such information may include photographs, video or audio files, various documents, etc. In this regard, users are often concerned with the question of how to hide a photo folder on an Android device. What needs to be done so that pictures and other data are not available for viewing using a standard file manager?

On an Android device, you may need to hide a photo for various reasons. Some users do not want the gallery of their personal photos to be available to everyone who picks up the phone, while others use the device as a “flash drive”, transferring important information on it. Probably, it is precisely this information in the form of graphic files that should also not be displayed when viewing other images. Regardless of the reasons, you need to find a way to hide the pictures so that they cannot be viewed with standard programs.

Before we tell you how to hide a photo folder on an Android smartphone, we will make a short review of one interesting model - Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus, on which you can use applications to hide photos.

Smartphones Wileyfox

To understand why we decided to focus on the products of this brand, we will briefly talk about the history of its appearance. The company entered the mobile gadgets market in October 2020. Given the high competition in this segment, in order to succeed, the market needed to offer something special. And the company’s devices have become so special. Each Wileyfox smartphone has a number of advantages and functions that are interesting for users:

• Work with two SIM cards;
• Support for fourth generation 4G LTE data networks;
• High quality of components, materials and assembly;
• Excellent equipment;
• Performance and stability of the operating system;
• 1 year warranty and a wide network of service centers (more than 200 representative offices in all regions of Russia);
• Affordable price.

Thanks to such competitive advantages, Wileyfox smartphones have become popular among buyers, and they have received a decent assessment from market experts. Brand achievements in a short period:

• In December 2020, the Forbes magazine team decided to name Wileyfox Swift smartphone of the year.
• In January 2020, the Wileyfox Storm became the best budget smartphone, according to the authoritative publication tdaily.ru.
• In February 2020, the company won first prize at the prestigious British Mobile News Awards 2016 in the Manufacturer of the Year category.
• In October 2020, the Wileyfox Spark+ model, according to experts from the authoritative resource Hi-Tech Mail.ru, became the winner in the “Best smartphone under 10 thousand rubles” category.

How to hide folders in Android

Some people may not trust third-party apps that allow you to hide files using their cloud services. If this is your case, then you may prefer another way of hiding your photos and videos from other people by moving them to a hidden folder on your device.

This can be done by downloading special applications from the Google Play store that allow you to hide files and folders. For example, File Hide Expert or File and Folder Hider. These applications are also password protected to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing them.

Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus

This model immediately attracts attention - a stylish original design, a body made of light but durable aluminum alloy, and excellent characteristics. The device is equipped with a fingerprint scanner and an NFC module. The phone also has Glonass, GPS and Assisted GPS navigation modules. The gadget has a 5-inch 2.5D IPS HD display, rounded at the edges, which provides the widest possible viewing angles – up to 178 degrees.

The device runs on a powerful, productive 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 processor (built on modern 64-bit architecture and clocked at 1.4 GHz). The ability to work with the most resource-intensive applications is ensured by the presence of 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. The hardware supports work with microSDXC cards up to 64 GB.

It is worth noting the high quality of images provided by the main module of the 16-megapixel camera. There is an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies and video conferencing. The smartphone is equipped with a Li-pol battery with a capacity of 2700 mAh, and Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology is implemented.

You can read more about this model and order Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus for 12,990 rubles on the brand’s official website.

How to hide files on Android

How to hide files on Android . Often, an active user of an Android device stores confidential (or personal) information on his gadget. And of course, there is always a desire to hide it from prying eyes.

How to hide files with photos, videos and other information from unauthorized access on Android? The answer to this question will be the topic of our conversation today.

Hiding files on the phone

Using third party software

The standard gallery on a smartphone displays all folders containing photos or videos. This is a folder with pictures from the camera, screenshots, downloads, photos from Viber, etc.:

There is simply no option to change the displayed folders in the standard settings. But the situation changes radically if you install a special utility on your smartphone - an alternative gallery, for example, Quick Pic:

A powerful yet compact application with a modern design and layering effects for managing photos.

Quick Pic lets you quickly launch and view thousands of photos. The user has a pleasant interface optimized for large screens and support for multi-touch gestures.

An undoubted advantage of the program is the absence of both additional permissions and annoying advertising.

Using a password, you can easily hide photos and videos, excluding them from all standard gallery applications.

It remains to add that the application is distributed free of charge, and, in addition to the basic functions, it will help with sorting, renaming, creating new folders, etc. And the presence of a built-in graphic editor will allow you to edit and install wallpapers with the best quality.

Using a computer

In this case, on a PC, using Windows Explorer, activate the “ Hidden ” attribute.

What you need to do for this: connect your phone or tablet via a USB cable to your computer (don’t forget to enable USB debugging). In the drive, open the folder with the photo, right-click on the desired file, select “ Properties ”, check the box next to “ Hidden ”:

After this simple manipulation, what we have hidden will not be displayed on the computer. And to view this content, in the Explorer properties you will need to select the option to view hidden files. But these files will still be displayed in the Android gallery.

Using a file manager

In my opinion, this is the most optimal way to hide information on a mobile device that is not intended for third-party viewing.

We will need a good file manager, for example, ES Explorer. Based on the combination of quality and the capabilities it provides, this is the best option, but if you are used to using another, you can use the one that is more convenient for you.

Using this method, we can hide individual photographs, and even an entire folder. What should be done:

Launch ES Explorer , find the desired folder or file on the SD card, then click on the name until a window appears with a menu that lists additional functions. Select the “ Rename ” item and put a dot in front of the existing name. For example, the gallery folder is in DCIM / Camera . To hide an album in the gallery on Android, we rename it, adding a dot, to “ .Camera ”:

After this procedure, we need to open the gallery again and make sure that the desired folder is not visible.

Yes, you say, great, but now how to see the hidden location? To do this, we perform the following manipulations:

We enter Explorer again, then, by swiping from the left edge of the display, open “ Show hidden files ”, find your folder (file) with a dot in front of the name (it will be slightly darkened). Now we just remove the dot again, and what was hidden will appear in the gallery again.

Using a special application

In fact, there are quite a few applications that offer the function of hiding private information. They work on the same principle, so in our review we will focus on “Hide photo - KeepSafe safe”.

The utility will securely hide your photos and videos in the device gallery with a password that you will need to come up with yourself, after which all content will be moved to a special storage. And to view you will only need to enter a password.

How the application works: launch KeepSafe, add a four-digit PIN code and enter your email for subsequent recovery (if needed). To hide the necessary files, go to the gallery, select the photos that we will hide, click “ Share ” and select KeepSafe. That's it, now, having entered the application, enter the password and enjoy watching.

ES Explorer

This is one of the most common file managers. We are interested in its ability to show hidden files and the ability to change their name. To use this option and hide photos, first you need to set the option to show hidden files in the file manager settings. After you enable the option to show hidden files, you need to find the folder in Explorer where the photos you want to hide are located.

On this folder you need to make a long press and o. After that, go to the “rename” option and put a dot at the beginning, before the first letter of the folder name. This simple manipulation will make this folder and all the files in it hidden. The system will no longer “see” this folder and the pictures in it, which means they will not be displayed in the gallery. After that, you just need to disable the display of hidden files in the manager again.

Hide specific folders from the gallery app

If you don't want to go through the hassle of setting up a whole new personal space, you can also hide certain folders containing personal photos or videos from the Gallery app. The process is very simple, although the options may be in a different location depending on what type of Android interface you're using. To show you an example, we used Huawei's EMUI (Android Oreo version).

• Go to your gallery section and find the folders you want to hide;
• then click on the icon in the form of three dots and the bottom of the screen to bring up the settings menu;
• here you can click on the “Hide Albums” icon so that they can be displayed in your gallery or not.
• if you want to see them again, just reverse the process.

You can easily show and hide hidden albums in the Gallery app.

KeepSafe

KeepSafe app is your personal photo safe. The program provides reliable protection for personal media files. To do this, you only need to come up with a reliable access code. In this case, you do not need to create separate special folders or directories - you simply mark the photo or video files that you want to hide. And they disappear from the public gallery. After this, you will be able to view pictures or videos exclusively using KeepSafe. This is the easiest way to organize privacy control for your gallery.

Benefits of the application:

• The program can be used both on a smartphone and on a tablet;
• Access to the safe is securely protected by a PIN code;
• The functionality allows you to create private albums;
• Convenient mode for viewing pictures and videos from the application;
• The image can be rotated and enlarged;
• A slide show mode is provided;
• The application has a camera interface that allows you to take pictures directly from it;
• If desired, hidden files can be easily made accessible;
• Using the application, you can share photos;
• Thanks to the “safe send” option, a photo can be sent with a time limit for viewing;
• The application does not appear in the list of downloaded programs on your smartphone;
• The application has a convenient and simple interface.

Hiding using a computer

The simplest thing you can do is connect your phone or tablet to your computer via cable or Wi-Fi and use Windows Explorer to activate the “Hidden” attribute.

1. When connecting on a tablet, select the “Storage” mode.
2. Open the folder in which your photos are stored, right-click on the desired file - Properties and About.

Now when connected to a computer, hidden content will not be displayed. To view them on your PC, in Explorer properties, select the option to view hidden files. But Android ignores this attribute. Therefore, in the gallery or file manager, images hidden on the computer will continue to be displayed. To hide photos on the tablet itself, we will use the following method.

3.Gallery Lock

The Gallery Lock app is a completely free way to hide your photos and videos in your smartphone's memory. The program allows you to hide media objects to which you want to restrict access from viewing in the general gallery. To view such pictures or videos, you will need to enter the password you created earlier.

The application allows you to create fake vaults under different passwords in order to demonstrate a fake personal album under certain circumstances, leaving the fact of the existence of another (real) one in the strictest confidence. To hide the fact that an application is on your smartphone, you can change its icon to any image.

Setting up a personal space on your smartphone

One of the easiest ways to hide files, photos and videos on your smartphone is to create a private space for them. Essentially, we create a partition in your device's memory that is password-protected or unlocked using biometric sensors. This is very useful for, for example, parents who want their children to use their phones without opening certain programs. On different smartphones, the path to use this function may differ slightly, but in general the access principle will be similar.

• Go to Settings and then Security & Privacy.
• Here you will see an option to enable “Personal Space” or “Private Space” (names may vary).
• Enable this option and set a password (different from the main one).
• You also use your fingerprint to unlock access to your personal space.

Keep in mind that by default, all your photos and videos are placed in the personal space, so if you want to make more subtle settings, you will need to use some other method, which will be discussed below.

GalleryVault

GalleryVault is the easiest way to hide your photos and private videos. The program features a user-friendly interface and a lot of additional features, including:

• Secret storage of files and data of any type;
• Encryption of hidden files;
• The ability to hide the application icon so that no one will guess that it is present on the smartphone;
• Function of moving hidden files from smartphone memory to SD card and back;
• No restrictions on the size and number of hidden files;
• The presence of an emergency close function for the application - to do this you just need to shake the device;
• If an unauthorized access is attempted, the application will notify you;
• Fingerprint login (for devices equipped with appropriate scanners).

Folder Lock

Folder Lock is a storage for personal photos, documents, audio and video recordings with cloud synchronization functions. The program has a built-in editor, with which you can type text notes directly in its interface. Folder Lock supports PIN, pattern, and password to protect your content.

To prevent you from getting confused in the list of files added to the storage, the application organizes them into sections and folders. Folder Lock has an internal document and photo viewer, as well as music and video players.

Unfortunately, the free version of the app does not copy files to the cloud and displays ads too often. But Folder Lock Pro is free of these inconveniences and, in addition, allows you to hide the icon from the list of installed programs.

Any of these applications will help you hide your personal data from prying eyes. The main difference between them comes down to the backup method: GalleryVault creates a free copy on your PC, and Folder Lock Pro creates a copy on the server, but this only applies to the paid version of the program.

Safe Gallery (Media Lock)

A good choice if you decide to protect your sensitive photos and videos. The application also allows you to password protect media files downloaded from the Internet. The functionality of the program allows you to view and move photos within a protected gallery.

In addition, this application supports viewing animated images inside a secure gallery.

Want to know how to copy contacts from your phone to your computer? Read our material.

Please wait…

Vaulty

Vaulty creates a private gallery that hides your files from the main gallery. Once you've transferred your personal photos and videos to it, simply protect the app with a PIN or text password.

What's unique about Vaulty is that it uses your phone's front-facing camera to automatically capture an intruder trying to break into your secret gallery. This feature, available in the premium version of Vault, is provided free of charge in Vaulty.

Vaulty also lets you back up your hidden files (though you'll have to subscribe to the cloud storage feature to use this feature). An online backup can be very useful if your phone gets lost or broken. This way you can transfer your files to your new device.

How to hide photos in Android gallery

The algorithm is similar to all previous ones. It is worth noting that if a person wants to make a file hidden, then he just needs to change its name and put a dot in front of it. The algorithm is the same with photographs.

• Go to your file manager and create an object with any name, go to it and create the same one, only with a secretive nature, that is, put a dot in front of its name. You can call it differently, starting with “Photo” and ending with “Dog”. The files are named in Latin letters.
• Then go to settings and activate the slider next to “Show hidden files”. The folder will automatically become visible.
• Next, we move on to those photos that we would like to hide. Hold them down and click on the “Cut” button. After that, go to that folder of ours and insert those photos into it.
• We go to the same slider that was described earlier and transfer it to the inactive state. The user should now reboot the device.

Vyacheslav

For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

Are there special programs other than a file manager?

Yes. From official sources you can download certain applications that are aimed specifically at this function. They are convenient because they allow the user to easily take advantage of all the capabilities of their phone. A detailed review of one of these programs - Hexlock App Lock - can be seen in the video below.

Are there other methods besides the system ones?

Yes. The user can also hide or, on the contrary, open a folder or file using applications, as well as using a computer. This process requires connecting a special cable that comes with the device. This method is suitable for those who cannot understand the system and get along with computers.

No one will see hidden folders?

Yes. Only those people who knew in advance about the existence of such an object can see the object. As a rule, few people know about the presence of such a function. The user can find out about it only if he activates the “Show hidden files” item.

Which method is better?

It all depends on the person’s preparation. If he does not understand the computer at all, then he can use system methods. If even those turned out to be too complicated for him, then the easiest one is to install the special programs that were mentioned earlier.