Private Photo Sharing Guide for Second Moms

🗂️ How to Set Up Private Photo Albums

Empowering you to protect your family from today’s digital threats!

Below are quick guides for the three most common platforms.

All steps assume you have a personal account; you can create a separate “family” account if you prefer.

1. Facebook – “Restricted” Albums

Create a new album → “Photos” → “Create Album”.
Upload the desired pictures.
Click “Edit” next to the album title, then “Privacy”.
Choose “Friends except…” and select “Only Me” to start fully private.
Click “Add People”, then type the names of the family members you want to grant access to.
Save changes. Only those selected can view the album; it won’t appear on anyone else’s timeline.

2. Instagram – Close‑Friends Stories

Open Instagram, tap your profile picture > “Close Friends”.
Add the family members you want (they must follow you).
When posting a story, tap “Close Friends” instead of “Your Story”.
For permanent storage, use Highlights: after posting a Close‑Friends story, tap “Highlight”, give it a name, and set its visibility to “Only Me”or keep it within Close Friends.

3. Google Photos – Shared Albums with Link Control

Open Google Photos, select the photos, then tap “+” → “Album”.
Name the album, tap “Share”, then “Create link”.
In the sharing options, turn “Link sharing”off.
Tap “Add people”, enter the email addresses of trusted family members, and set their permission to “Can view” (or “Can edit” if you want collaborative adding).
The album will stay invisible to anyone without the explicit invitation.

4. Proton Drive – Encrypted Private Folders(recommended for maximum security)

Sign in to Proton Drive (free tier works).
Click “New Folder”, give it a name (e.g., “Family Memories”).
Drag‑and‑drop photos into the folder.
Right‑click the folder → “Share”→ generate a password‑protected link or invite specific Proton accounts.
Only recipients with the password or invited account can decrypt and view the files—nothing is stored in plaintext on Proton’s servers.

Tip: Keep a master list of who has access and review it quarterly. Remove anyone who no longer needs entry (e.g., a former babysitter).

You know that posting photos, birthdays, and personal details can put kids at risk. Here’s an option that helps you avoid oversharing that could lead to a disastrous outcome from your child’s digital footprint.

Create private albums for close family, granting access via secure links.

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