I stopped worrying about accidental snooping thanks to this new Samsung Gallery feature
Android Police 2026-06-17 12:30:18
Context: The author, Faith Leroux, a features writer at Android Police, was concerned about accidental snooping on her personal photos stored on her Samsung Galaxy S25+. She had been looking for a way to keep her experimental food photos, gaming screenshots, and fan art private without having to set up a separate, secure folder.
Key Facts
- Samsung introduced a new Private Album feature in its One UI 8.5 update, which allows users to easily move sensitive photos and videos into a secure, hidden album that can only be accessed with biometric authentication, a PIN, or pattern.
- To move a photo into Private Album, users open the Samsung Gallery app, select the image or video, tap the three-dot icon, and choose "Move to private album" to secure it.
- The Private Album feature is integrated with Samsung's security platform and does not require additional setup, as it is baked into One UI 8.5, making it easily accessible on supported Samsung devices like the Galaxy S25+.
- Photos stored in Private Album are hidden from the main Gallery view and can only be accessed by navigating to the Private Album section, which requires authentication, and screenshots are also disabled within this section to prevent accidental leaks.
- The Private Album feature is an alternative to Samsung's existing Secure Folder and Private Space features, which offer additional security and isolation options for sensitive content, with Secure Folder being available since the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and using Samsung Knox for encryption.