Google Photos adds protected Locked Folder, more controls for Memories

Today was the first day of the Google I/O developer conference, and the search giant announced updates across all of its services. Google Photos wasn't forgotten either.

The app will get a new passcode-protected Locked Folder space where you can save sensitive photos separately. What's stored here won't show up as you scroll through Google Photos or any other gallery app on your device. Locked Folder will be available on Pixels first, and arrive on more Android devices throughout the year. On Pixels, you'll have the option to save photos and videos directly to your Locked Folder from the camera app.

With Memories, Google Photos surfaces photos from years past, recent highlights, moments with your loved ones, your favorite activities, and so on. But sometimes it can surface something you may want forever forgotten, so with that in mind the controls to hide photos of certain people or time periods will be made easier to find starting later this summer.

The app will also get more granular controls for Memories in your grid. Starting today, you can rename a trip highlight, or remove it. Coming soon, you'll be able to remove a single photo from a Memory, remove Best of Month Memories, and rename or remove Memories based on the moments you celebrate.

Starting later this summer, Google Photos will highlight little patterns it finds in a set of three or more photos that share things like shape or color. You'll find these in Memories, and it's unsurprisingly using machine learning.

Later this year, you'll also see new types of Memories of the moments you celebrate, whatever those may be: Diwali, Lunar New Year, Hanukkah, or something else.

These Memories will show up while you scroll through your photo grid, along with new Best of Month Memories and trip highlights.