One notable privacy feature on iPhones is the ability to hide photos and videos in a separate folder so that they are not visible when scrolling through the main albums. Apple has always highlighted the privacy features in iOS as part of its efforts to differentiate its smartphone platform from Android. With iOS 16, Apple also introduced a number of new privacy features, including 'Safety Check' that can be used to reset the data and location access granted to others. Another new privacy feature is 'Emergency Reset' that stops all data sharing with other people and apps.
iOS 16 also offers more convenience-driven privacy features. The most notable among them is the ability to edit and unsend iMessages. This is a feature that has been available on rival messaging platforms for years now, although there are some limitations with Apple's implementation, such as the ability for the receiver of the message to see the edit history. The unsend feature on the other hand only works for two minutes after a message has been sent, which is quite limited considering that platforms like WhatsApp give users up to two days to delete messages.
The privacy features in iOS 16 extend to the Photos app on iPhones, which lets users control which photos and videos are visible and which are hidden from prying eyes. To hide photos and videos on an iPhone running iOS 16, open the Photos app and select the photo or video that needs to be hidden. To hide multiple photos at once, tap on the 'Select' button in the top-right corner and then select the target photos and videos. Now tap on the 'More' button (three dots) in the top-right corner (it will be at the bottom-right if multiple files are chosen) and then choose 'Hide' in the pop-up menu. This will send the chosen photos and videos to the Hidden folder.
Access The Hidden Photos Album On iPhone
Hidden photos and videos do not appear in the user's Library or other albums. Instead, they are moved to the Hidden album so that they cannot be found in the camera roll. In addition, the Hidden folder itself can also be hidden so that only the owner of the phone can see the hidden photos and videos. To access the album, go to Photos and tap on the 'Albums' tab. Now scroll down and tap 'Hidden' under 'Utilities.' Next, unlock the folder using Face ID or Touch ID. To unhide a photo or video from the album, select it, tap on the 'More' button (three dots), and then tap 'Unhide.'
On iPhones running iOS 14 and later, users can manually hide the 'Hidden' folder to ensure that the hidden photos and videos are completely hidden from public view. To do that, Go to Settings and then select 'Photos.' On the next screen, toggle off 'Show Hidden Album.' On iPhones and iPads, the Hidden album is visible by default, but turning it off will ensure that hidden photos and videos are no longer visible in the Photos app.