Samsung Galaxy phones include a hidden Gallery setting that can add an extra layer of privacy to selected photo and video albums. The option is part of One UI’s advanced Gallery controls and can prevent someone from opening a locked album even when the phone itself is already unlocked.
To activate it, open the Gallery app and tap the three-line button in the lower-right corner. Select “Settings,” then open “About Gallery.” Repeatedly tap the app’s version number until the message “[Labs] Gallery Labs is enabled” appears. The taps must be made directly on the version numbers for the option to work.
Return to the Gallery settings and open the newly available “Gallery Labs” section. Find “Album entry-locks” and enable it. Depending on the One UI version, Gallery may need to be closed and reopened before the change takes effect.
Once enabled, press and hold an album in Gallery, tap the three-dot button and select “Lock album.” Opening that album will then require a fingerprint, PIN or the phone’s configured unlocking method, including when the handset is already unlocked.
The feature has an important limitation: it only restricts access through the Gallery app. The photos and videos may still be available through other applications, including My Files or Google Photos, so the setting is not a complete private-storage solution.
Samsung also offers a Private Album feature in One UI 8.5. It allows users to select photos and videos in Gallery, tap the three-dot menu and choose “Move to Private Album.” Access is then available from the Gallery menu using the user’s credentials.
For more sensitive files, Samsung’s Secure Folder remains the more comprehensive option described in the source material, as it both restricts access and keeps the content separated from the rest of the phone.
Sources: Xataka Móvil.