The short answer: Hiding a folder only keeps it out of sight. On Windows, anyone can turn on View → Show → Hidden items in File Explorer; on a Mac, Command-Shift-. (period) shows hidden items in Finder. The files underneath aren't encrypted, so another account, another app or another computer can read them. Locking means encrypting: the files stay unreadable until the right key unlocks them. Phones mix the two. iPhone's Hidden album needs Face ID or Touch ID, and Android's Locked Folder and Safe folder sit behind your screen lock or a PIN, but each covers only certain files on one device. ZapLock locks any folder in place on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android, and opens it with your ZapQR sign-in.
Hidden, locked behind a PIN, or encrypted
Hidden attribute (Windows and Mac)
On Windows, tick Hidden in a folder's Properties. On a Mac, start the name with a period or use chflags hidden in Terminal.
- Windows: View → Show → Hidden items shows it again
- Mac: Command-Shift-. shows it in Finder
- The files aren't encrypted
Phone vaults (iPhone and Android)
iPhone's Hidden album needs Face ID or Touch ID since iOS 16. Google Photos Locked Folder uses your screen lock, and Files by Google's Safe folder uses a PIN or pattern.
- Hidden album and Locked Folder hold photos and videos only
- Safe folder: forget the PIN and Google says you can't get the files back
- Tied to one phone or one app
Encrypt the folder
Encryption turns the files into data that can't be read without the key, wherever the copy goes: another account, another computer, a sync service.
- Built-in tools encrypt whole disks or archives with a password
- ZapLock encrypts one folder where it is
- Opens with a sign-in, not a password
Batch-file "folder lockers" only hide. The script trick that renames a folder to a Control Panel ID makes it look locked, but the files aren't encrypted and the password sits in the script in plain text. Treat it as hiding.
Hide to tidy up. Lock when someone else could look.
Clutter you don't want to see
Settings files apps keep
A surprise on a PC only you use
Nothing anyone would go looking for.
Tax returns, IDs, contracts Client or HR files On a shared PC or a USB drive In a sync folder Anything someone could copy and open somewhere else.
ZapLock locks; it doesn't hide. The folder keeps its name and its place, and what's inside becomes encrypted files. Its name stays readable, so don't put anything secret in the folder name itself.
How to lock a folder instead of hiding it
With ZapLock on a Mac, a Windows PC, an iPhone, an iPad or an Android phone.
Install ZapLock and sign in
Get it from the Mac App Store, Microsoft Store, App Store or Google Play, and sign in with a free ZapQR account.
Sign in on a second device
Sign in on another phone or computer too. Each device holds its own share of a folder's key, so losing one doesn't lock you out.
Unhide the folder if you hid it
Show hidden items (View → Show → Hidden items on Windows, Command-Shift-. on a Mac) so you can pick the folder.
Lock the folder
On a Mac, right-click it in Finder and choose Services → Protect with ZapLock. On Windows, right-click it in File Explorer and choose Protect with ZapQR. On iPhone, iPad or Android, tap + or Add folder… and pick it.
Open it with your sign-in
Unlock the folder in ZapLock with your sign-in, plus Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello or your fingerprint if you've turned on the unlock check.
What ZapLock won't do
Worth knowing up front, so nothing surprises you later.
- You need a free ZapQR account. That sign-in is what replaces the password.
- Opening a folder needs a connection to our service, which releases its half of the key. A new unlock waits until you're back online.
- If a folder's key lives on only one device and you lose that device, the folder can't be opened. Sign in on a second device before you lock anything you can't lose.
- No Linux, and the apps aren't open source.
- Sync services keep version history. If plain copies were ever synced, your provider may still hold them.
Hide vs lock FAQ
Is hiding a folder the same as locking it?
No. Hiding only keeps a folder out of view in File Explorer or Finder. Anyone who turns on hidden items can see and open it, and the files aren't encrypted. Locking a folder properly means encrypting it, so the files can't be read without the key.
Can other people see a hidden folder?
Yes, if they look. On Windows, File Explorer shows hidden folders after View → Show → Hidden items. On a Mac, Command-Shift-. (period) shows hidden items in Finder. Another account, or another computer the drive is plugged into, can also read the files.
Does hiding a folder encrypt the files?
No. The hidden attribute on Windows and the hidden flag or leading period on a Mac change only whether the folder is shown. The files themselves stay as they were.
Is the iPhone Hidden album locked?
Since iOS 16 the Hidden album is locked by default and needs Face ID or Touch ID to open in Photos. It only holds photos and videos, though, not documents in the Files app.
Are Google Photos Locked Folder and Files by Google Safe folder real locks?
They lock, but narrowly. Locked Folder holds photos and videos behind your screen lock, and Google says items that aren't backed up can be lost if you uninstall Photos or clear its data. Safe folder uses a PIN or pattern, and Google says that if you forget it you can't get the files back.
Does ZapLock hide the folder?
No. ZapLock locks a folder where it is: it keeps its name and place, and the files inside are encrypted with AES-256-GCM. The folder name stays readable, so keep anything secret out of the name.
Is there a free way to lock a folder instead of hiding it?
Yes. ZapLock's Free plan locks one folder for good, and opening folders is always free. A password-protected 7-Zip archive is free too, if you don't mind extracting files to edit them. See pricing.
Lock your first folder in a minute.
Free for one folder, for good. On Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android.
Built-in options checked 26 October 2026 against: Microsoft: File Explorer in Windows (show hidden items) · Apple: Hide photos with the Hidden album · Google Photos: Locked Folder · Files by Google: Safe folder · The Eclectic Light Company: How to hide files and folders (Mac).