The files by Google app, which primarily gives Android users as easy way to manage files and free up space on their phone, is getting a new PIN-protected “Safe Folder” feature.
After setting up a four-digit PIN, you can store any of your sensitive files in this encrypted folder. The folder is locked the moment you switch away to another app, and its contents are only accessible through Files by Google.
Google says the feature is mainly designed to help people who share Android devices, which it says is common for women in many parts of the world. Safe Folder keep important files like identity documents safe and secure from accidental deletion or sharing by kids, for example. And yes, it could also help anyone who wants to keep any “sensitive photos” private.
Android Police warns that transferring a file into your secure folder means it disappears from other file browsers and gallery apps.
Last year, Microsoft added a similar secure folder to OneDrive called “Personal Vault”.
Google added that the Safe Folder feature is rolling out in the beta starting today, and AndroidPolice notes that it’s appearing in version 1.0.323 of the Files by Google app. Google has said that the app now boasts over 150 million monthly active users worldwide.
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