Google is making a small but significant change to the Google Photos app, making it quicker and easier to access your most personal photos and videos. Unfortunately, the same change just made several other features more difficult to find in the process.
The update comes in the form of a rearranged Library tab that replaces the Utilities button at the top of the screen with a new button marked “Locked.” This new button provides quick access to Google’s Locked Folder feature—or prompts you to set it up if you haven’t already done so. By placing the Locked button right at the top of the screen next to Favorites, Google has given the Locked Folder significantly more prominence and should help new users find it more easily.
Where Have Google Photos Utilities Gone?
While this interface change makes the Locked folder easier to discover and access, many Google Photos users will now wonder where the Utilities functions have gone.
Thankfully, you can now find most of these utilities by tapping the “+” icon at the top of the screen. Here, you can create new media, including albums, collages, highlight videos, cinematic photos and animations. You can also use this menu to order physical books and prints, set up partner sharing, or import images from other places like iCloud or Facebook.
If you’ve been using the Utilities menu to access the “Free up Space” option, you can find it by tapping on your profile photo at the top-right of the screen and selecting the option to “Free up space on this device” about halfway down the page.
Another “missing” utility is the option to “Move photos to the archive.” This function is now available from the “Archive” button in the Library tab. Enter the archive and tap the icon depicting a photo with a small plus sign in the corner at the top-right of the screen. This will take you to a page where you can select images you want to move into the archive.
What Is The Google Photos Locked Folder?
Launched in 2001 as a Pixel exclusive, the Locked Folder is a separate passcode-protected folder where you can keep sensitive photos and videos you don’t want showing up when casually scrolling through your Google Photos library or when accessing your photos from within other apps.
The Locked Folder was later rolled out to other Android devices and eventually to iOS users before Google added a much-needed cloud backup feature last year.
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