How to hide videos on Android, with or without an app

October 20, 2026

The quickest way to hide videos on Android is a locked folder: Locked Folder in Google Photos, Safe folder in Files by Google, or Secure Folder on a Samsung. They all take videos, but they differ in who can unlock them and whether a copy survives a lost phone. For the photo steps, see how to hide photos on Android.

Google Photos Locked Folder

Google says you can keep “sensitive photos and videos” in Locked Folder. It needs Android 6 or later, and the password is your device screen lock. You cannot set a separate one. Locked Folder items are kept out of the main grid, search, memories and albums, and they cannot be shared, including through other apps. (Google: Locked Folder)

Backup is optional, and it matters for video. If it is off, items live only on that phone. Uninstalling Photos, clearing its data, or losing the phone deletes them. If it is on, backed-up items count toward your Google storage. Google’s page gives no size limit for videos.

Files by Google: Safe folder

Open Files > Collections > Safe folder and choose a PIN or pattern. Then select files, tap More > Move to Safe folder. It works on Android 8.0 and up. Google’s page says “files” and does not name videos, but it is not limited to a file type. (Google: Safe folder)

The lock is separate from your screen lock. Files in it do not show up in search, cannot be shared or backed up to Google Drive, and cannot be opened by other apps. The trade-off is harsh: if you forget the lock, the only option is a reset, and that permanently deletes the contents. Google also warns not to copy the encrypted files to a new phone and says anyone with access to internal storage may be able to reach them.

Samsung Secure Folder

Touch and hold a video in Gallery, tap More, then Move to Secure Folder. The video must be on the phone or an SD card, not only in the cloud. (Samsung: Secure Folder)

It has its own PIN, password or pattern. One setting can leak: you can let Secure Folder apps show notifications while it is locked, so check that switch. For the Samsung-specific options, including Private album and hidden albums, see how to hide photos on Samsung.

The .nomedia trick

If your videos sit in a normal folder, adding an empty file named .nomedia tells Android’s media scanner to skip that folder and its subfolders. Android’s own docs describe it as the way apps keep their files out of the Gallery. (Android: MediaStore)

That is all it does. It is not a lock and not encryption. Anyone browsing in a file manager can still open the folder, and the videos are not protected if the phone is unlocked. Videos already indexed may take a while to leave the Gallery. Use it to tidy, not to protect.

What each one leaves exposed

Hiding or .nomedia: the file is still plain and readable in its folder.
Locked Folder without backup: one lost phone ends the videos.
Safe folder: no backup at all, and a forgotten lock means a reset.
Anything tied to your screen lock: whoever knows your PIN gets in.

Copies made before you moved a video stay where they were. Google says this about Locked Folder, so check Trash and any chat app downloads too. For where leftovers hide, see where are hidden photos on Android.

When a vault app fits

If you want a lock that is not your screen lock and a backup you control, VaultIt encrypts videos exactly like photos: on the device with AES-256-GCM, using a key from a drawn pattern via Argon2id. It has a 12-word recovery phrase, an encrypted backup file you save yourself, no account and no ads. The trade-off: nobody can reset your pattern, and uninstalling it or clearing its data deletes the vault, so only a backup kept off the phone survives.

Sources

Quick answers

How do I hide videos in my Android gallery? Move them into Locked Folder, Safe folder or Secure Folder. Merely hiding an album does not lock anything.

Does Locked Folder back up my videos? Only if you turn backup on. Otherwise they stay on that phone only.

Does .nomedia hide videos securely? No. It only keeps the folder out of the media scanner. The files stay readable.

What if I forget the Safe folder lock? You lose access. Resetting is the only option, and it deletes the files.