Hidden photos on your iPhone to get extra protection in iOS 16

Apple is adding a new feature to iOS 16 to make recently deleted and hidden albums in Photos much more private. Starting in iOS 16, those albums will now be locked by default, and you can unlock them using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, according to Apple's iOS 16 features page.

In iOS 15, those albums are hard to find, but they're not protected. That means someone who might have unwanted access to your phone can easily see what's there if they know where to look, which defeats the purpose of the Hidden album in particular. With the change in iOS 16, people won't be able to see photos in any of the albums unless you unlock them. This new feature will also be available in iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and all three software updates will be available this fall.

Photos updates aren't the only new privacy features in iOS 16. Apple also introduced Safety Check, which aims to protect people in abusive relationships by allowing them to revoke access to information shared with others.