Files by Google tests a PIN-protected ‘Safe Folder’ to hide your deep, dark secrets

Files by Google is one of the best file manager apps out there, and it might soon add a new feature that almost every smartphone user will appreciate – an encrypted folder protected by a PIN to store sensitive data. The folks at XDA-Developer enabled this yet-to-be-released feature in the APK for Files by Google’s latest build (v1.0.315).

The new Safe Folder option is located in the Collections tab of the Browse page. Once you tap on it, you’ll be asked to set a 4-digit PIN that you should NEVER forget, and then you can move media into that secure folder. It must be noted that files moving into the Safe Folder are encrypted as an added measure of security.

Moreover, all the files in this secure folder are hidden from other applications installed on your smartphone. But do keep in mind that if you forget the Safe Folder PIN, there is no way to recover the encrypted files. And even if you delete and install the Files by Google app again, it will be unable to read or recover contents previously stored in the Safe Folder.