Send Photos Privately Without Revealing Filenames

Understand what filename privacy means

Original transfer file basenames are not stored or shown by GetMyFiles. The recipient sees labels such as Photo 1 rather than your original camera or editing name. Downloaded items also receive generated names. This is useful if your working names include a person, a booking reference or an internal note that has no place in the delivery.

Filename privacy has a precise scope. The contents of the image are not anonymised, embedded information is not stripped, and folder names remain visible. A person, location or document visible within a photograph may still be identifiable. GetMyFiles is not end-to-end encrypted. Consider what is inside the files, not just what their labels say.

Choose the photos you have permission to share

Before uploading, decide which photographs belong in the delivery and who should receive them. Check that you own the images or have permission to distribute them. If they show other people, take account of their privacy and any relevant agreement. A private transfer link does not create permission that was missing from the original collection.

Keep a separate copy of the originals and choose the final versions deliberately. Neutral filenames mean that instructions such as “use the file with the client name in it” will not work on the recipient page. If the collection needs explanation, describe the folders and purpose of the delivery in your email rather than relying on original filenames.

Use folders to make a collection easier to browse

On a device that supports folder selection or folder drag-and-drop, you can upload a collection with nested subfolders. The recipient can open each folder and follow breadcrumbs back up. This keeps a large set more manageable than a flat list. Folder names such as Final edits and Web copies can communicate the intended use without exposing sensitive details.

Original folder names are preserved, so review them before sending. Do not put a confidential client reference in a folder name if it should stay private. Empty folders are not retained. Eligible full-transfer and folder ZIP downloads keep the structure with generated file names, allowing the recipient to save an organised collection.

Check size and preview expectations

A guest or Free transfer can contain up to 2 GB in total and up to 200 files. Free accounts include 10 transfers a month. Check the combined size of the selected photographs before starting: high-resolution originals can quickly use the allowance. You can begin without an account, and the recipient can download without signing up.

Common image formats are supported, but upload support does not guarantee a preview for every camera or professional format. Supported images can be previewed on the transfer page. If your recipient needs to inspect a specialist format, tell them what application they will need after downloading. Do not promise that every image will look the same in every browser.

Treat the private link as access to the photos

GetMyFiles creates unguessable transfer links. Share the completed link only with your intended recipient, and avoid posting it publicly if the collection is private. Anyone who receives a valid link can open its files; the link does not verify identity and a recipient can forward it. Review the destination before you paste it into a group conversation.

Guest and Free links expire after 7 days. Tell the recipient the deadline and ask them to download their copy before the link stops working. Expiry ends access through the transfer; it does not erase copies that someone has already downloaded. Retain your originals so you can make a new delivery if a recipient misses the deadline.

Choose more room or a branded delivery when needed

Tier 1 supports 10 GB transfers, 100 transfers a month and expiry up to 30 days. Tier 2 supports 50 GB transfers, 1,000 transfers a month and expiry up to 1 year. Eligible paid plans add recipient branding, while Unlimited can create never-expiring links subject to ongoing service and fair-use rules. Individual-file and file-count limits still apply.

Tier 1 is £8.99/month or £89/year; Tier 2 is £14.99/month or £149/year; Unlimited is £24.99/month or £249/year.

For ongoing account-based exchange, My cloud is separate from transfers and can share folders with other GetMyFiles accounts. It also has an optional filename-retention setting. The anonymous-filename guarantee described here applies to transfers, not to every possible cloud setting. Use the delivery method that fits the privacy and access needs of your collection.