![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Google-Photos-App-Pixel-phone-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
One swipe too many can result in an awkward conversation. That\u2019s the issue I face whenever I hand someone my phone to show them my latest vacation pics in Google Photos<\/a> they asked to see.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t have any super-sensitive images in my Photos account, but I have plenty I don\u2019t want anyone to see. Whether it\u2019s my fitness progress pictures or that weird mark on my body I had to send to my doctor, some things are for my eyes only.<\/p>\n I recently gave a Google Photos alternative called Ente<\/a> a spin, mainly because it offers end-to-end encryption Google\u2019s app lacks. But I unexpectedly discovered a great privacy feature during my testing that solves my issue completely, and now I want to see it make its way to Google Photos \u2014 and every other gallery app for that matter.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n Show only what you want<\/p>\n Mitja Rutnik \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Ente has a feature called Guest View that basically locks an image of choice on the screen. All I have to do is long-press a photo, tap the Guest View option that appears, and then hand my phone to the person I want to show the photo to.<\/p>\n That person can then do nothing else in the app but view the image. Swiping left or right does nothing, and tapping the back button brings up the lock screen, preventing them from seeing anything else.<\/p>\n This privacy feature also works with albums. Just open up an album, tap the three-dotted icon in the top-right corner, and select Guest View. The person with your phone can swipe through all the images in that gallery and can\u2019t see anything else since the lock screen shows up as soon as they hit the back button.<\/p>\n Additionally, I can also select specific images from my feed that aren\u2019t in the same gallery and select Guest View, so regardless of which pictures I want to show, Ente has me covered.<\/p>\n Currently, the only way to make sure no one sees more than you want on Google Photos is to share an album or specific images. That does solve the problem, but it\u2019s too much friction in a lot of cases despite its simplicity, especially when only showing a single photo to multiple people in the room.<\/p>\n Guest View is something I think would come in handy often for a lot of people. Privacy is important, so I really hope Google is taking note and will bring this feature to Photos somewhere down the line. Photos is the de facto gallery app most Android users have on their phones<\/a>, and we would all benefit from a simple privacy feature like this.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a blind spot, though<\/p>\n Robert Triggs \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n While Guest View prevents people from seeing more than you want them to within the app, they can still snoop on your phone regardless. They can easily close the app and have access to just about anything. Ente\u2019s app is excluded from this, since even if they clear it from memory and open it again, the lock screen shows up. But they are free to explore your phone and all the data it holds otherwise, so it\u2019s not a bulletproof solution for those who are truly privacy-focused.<\/p>\n Ente’s feature works best when paired with App Pinning.<\/p>\n This is not Ente\u2019s fault, though. As far as I\u2019m aware, a third-party app can\u2019t prevent itself from being closed or stop someone from navigating away \u2014 that\u2019s an OS-level restriction on Android. However, Android does have a built-in feature called App Pinning<\/a> that solves this. It locks your phone to a single app, and the only way to exit is by entering your PIN or using biometrics. Pairing that with Ente\u2019s Guest View gives you the full lockdown experience \u2014 no swiping to other photos and no snooping around your phone.<\/p>\n To enable App Pinning, head to Settings > Security & Privacy > More security privacy > App Pinning (the exact path varies by manufacturer \u2014 search for \u201cpinning\u201d in Settings if you can\u2019t find it). Toggle it on and make sure you also enable the option to require your PIN or pattern before unpinning. Then, open Ente and activate Guest View, open the Recents screen, tap the app icon at the top of Ente\u2019s card, and select Pin. It\u2019s not as complicated or time-consuming as it sounds once the App Pinning option is switched on, but it does require a few taps.<\/p>\n Would you like to see a Guest View feature on Google Photos?<\/p>\n 19 votes<\/p>\n Yes, I’d use it.<\/p>\n 84%<\/p>\n No, I don’t need it.<\/p>\n 16%<\/p>\n That\u2019s my take, and now I want to hear yours. How much do you actually care about a privacy feature like this, and would you use it regularly? Let me know in the poll above and share your thoughts in the comments.<\/p>\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768240152_738_google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png\"\/ "\\"google"){kind=icon}
![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768240152_238_google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\"\/ "\\"google"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Ente](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ente-Guest-View-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Ente")
<\/p>\n![\"Ente](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ente-Photos-Gallery.jpg\"\/ "\\"Ente")
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