Keeping private photos out of cloud backup
Backup is great until it copies something you never wanted on a server.
Delete the photo from your Google account as well as your phone, turn off backup for folders you don't want uploaded, and keep private files in an app that doesn't back up at all.
Where your photos get copied
On most Android phones, Google Photos backs up your camera folder automatically. Some phones also back up to their maker's cloud, such as Samsung Cloud or OneDrive through the Gallery app. A photo you hide on the phone afterwards may already be stored in one of those places.
Remove what's already uploaded
- Open photos.google.com on a computer, or the Photos app, and find the photo.
- Delete it and confirm that it should be removed from your Google account and the devices signed in to it.
- Open the bin and empty it. Until you do, deleted items can be restored.
- Repeat for any other cloud service your gallery syncs with.
Choose which folders back up
In Google Photos, open settings, go to backup, and look for Back up device folders. Your camera folder is usually on. Folders like Screenshots, WhatsApp Images or Downloads can be switched on or off one by one. Turning a folder off stops new uploads but doesn't delete what's already there.
Use something that can't back up
Google Photos Locked Folder has an optional cloud backup, which is handy if you want your private photos on a new phone and pointless if you never want them on a server.
Dobr has no internet permission and opts out of Android's own app backup, so the files in it never leave your phone. The trade-off is that a lost or reset phone takes the vault with it. Read what happens when you switch phones before you rely on it for anything irreplaceable.
Last checked 2026-11-01. Phone menus change between Android versions and brands, so labels on your phone may differ slightly.