iPhone gets Secure Folder with iOS 16 in a still WEIRD way!

iPhone with iOS 16 finally gets a Secure Folder just like the Samsung Galaxy smartphones, but in a weird way. iOS 16 is a mega update for the iPhone and there are hundreds of features you need to keep a tab on. However, there is one feature for people who have sensitive images and photos to store, and have been left wanting for a password protected “secure folder”, a feature that has been there on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as several other Android phones. With iOS 16, iPhone users now finally have something similar, but not in a conventional way.

The iPhone has always had a Hidden folder in the Photos app that stays unprotected. In fact, the Hidden and Recently Deleted folder are available to everyone who can get access the device via its main passcode. With iOS 16, there are changes introduced here. The iOS 16 update now introduces a layer of password on these Hidden and Recently Deleted folders. That is still not as strong as a dedicated secure folder with a different password, but it is a step in the right direction.

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iPhone with iOS 16 gets password protected folder

“The Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked by default and can be unlocked using your iPhone authentication method: Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode,” says Apple in its iOS 16 feature page.

Hence, once the iOS 16 update arrives on your iPhone, the device will automatically lock these folders, thereby restricting access to these folders from the prying eyes. Sadly, if someone knows your iPhone Passcode, they can still get access to these folders.

Know that iOS 16 isn’t the only software to get this feature. Apple says that the passcode protected Hidden and Recently Deleted folders will also be available on macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16.

Other than these, iOS also adds some more privacy options this year. There is a new Safety Check feature that helps “people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations quickly reset the access they’ve granted to others. It also helps you manage which people and apps you’ve given access to.”

Additionally, there is a Pasteboard Permission that requires apps to seek your permission before accessing the pasteboard to paste content from another app.