Can I limit photo access on my ipad?
Q
I use my ipad to store personal information, including invoices and correspondence. As such there are images that I do not wish to share with apps. Consequently, I find myself unable to try photomanipulation apps, as they all seem to request access to my photos – including the Photoroom app you recommended a while back. I’d be grateful for your advice as to whether there is a simple and practical way to restrict these apps to specific photos or folders? I’m aware Apple allows photos to be put into a ‘private’ folder, but I’m unable to establish if images in this are restricted to viewing by all? Michael Duffy
A
The ‘private’ folder to which you refer is called Hidden. However, while it does prevent selected photos from being seen from within Apple’s own Photos app, access to the folder itself can be granted to third-party apps. But that ‘can be’ is key here: IOS gives you control over which photos and folders Photoroom (and other apps) are able to access.
This isn’t obvious from Photoroom’s opening screen, as all it has is a button labelled ‘Allow Access to All Photos’. However, tap this and IOS steps in to ask what level of access you want to give. If you tap ‘Allow Access to All Photos’, then Photoroom will get that, including any in the Hidden folder. However, if instead you tap Select Photos (see screenshot 1 ), then on the next screen 2 you’ll be able to tap to select individual photos or, more sensibly, the folders that Photoroom can access.