What Is Samsung Private Album and How Is It Different From Secure Folder?

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Samsung offers a bunch of privacy features to help Galaxy device users protect their personal data. With One UI 8.5, the company introduced Private Album, a Gallery feature that makes it easier to hide sensitive photos and videos. While it may appear similar to Secure Folder, the two features fulfill different purposes. Here’s how they differ.

What is Samsung Private Album?

Private Album is a privacy feature within the Gallery app. The feature lets you transfer selected photos and videos into a hidden album, accessible via your phone’s lock screen security or biometric verification. This ensures your personal photos and videos stay out of reach of anyone casually browsing your device. Moreover, the system disables screenshots for content in the Private Album, adding an extra layer of privacy.

What is Samsung Secure Folder?

Secure Folder is Samsung’s advanced privacy solution that offers a separate, encrypted space on your Galaxy device. Powered by the company’s Knox security platform, it lets you securely store photos, videos, files, documents, apps, and other data isolated from the rest of your phone.

You can also keep a second copy of apps inside Secure Folder, so you can use them in different contexts. This comes in handy if you want to use separate accounts for social media apps. Everything stored in this space remains protected with a PIN, password, pattern, or fingerprint.

What’s the key difference between the two?

So, Samsung designed both features to protect your privacy, though they cater to different needs. Private Album is for users who simply want to hide personal photos and videos. On the other hand, Secure Folder offers stronger protection for apps, files, and other personal data.

How to move photos and videos to the Private Album

• Open the Gallery app.
• Tap and hold a photo or video.
• Select all the items you want to hide.
• Tap the More (three-dot) icon.
• Select Move to Private album and then confirm.

Now selected items will disappear from your Gallery.

How to open Private Album

• Open the Gallery app.
• Tap Menu and then select Private album.

• Enter your password or use fingerprint authentication.

Now you can browse all the photos and videos in the album.

How to create Secure Folder?

• Open Settings on your Galaxy device.
• Now go to Security and privacy > More security settings.
• Tap Secure Folder (make sure to sign in to your Samsung account).
• Select a lock method such as PIN, password, pattern, or fingerprint and complete the setup.

Now, you will see the Secure Folder app on your Home or Apps screen. You can hide its icon from the Quick Settings panel by tapping the Secure Folder tile. When hidden, the isolated space encrypts all apps and data inside for maximum security and prevents notifications until you unlock it.

You can learn how to use Secure Folder in detail in our previous guide.

Written by

Binay Konwar

Binay Konwar started his blogging journey in 2014 and has since written plenty of tech articles. At present, he is working as a News Writer at SammyGuru, covering everything about Samsung. He holds a Master's degree in Mathematics, but his real passion lies in tech and writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and watching movies.

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