What’s the point of hiding media in the Photos app if other people with access to your device can see it? That seemed to be the point of Apple’s upgrade to Photos in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura. By default, any items you chose to hide in your library and your Recently Delete album would require Touch ID, Face ID, or a device/account password to view.
If you let your kids, roommates, parents, or others have access to the same Mac account or sometimes hand your phone to someone without supervising it, the locked protection on those albums is a plus. However, if you’re a solo operator of your own hardware, you can disable this feature.
Read more at Macworld.com