Microsoft has updated its photo app. Initially, it was only available to Windows 11 users, but now it is also available to Windows 10 users. The app is designed to feel more native and match the design language of Windows 11. These changes were made after years of development. The interface of Photos has been completely redesigned for easy viewing, finding, and managing pictures. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new in the Windows 11 Photos app. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Photos App for Windows 11 and Windows 11
The app is said to be available as an automatic update. If you haven’t received the update yet, you can try updating your Photos app automatically from the Microsoft Store. You do have to ensure that you have updated to Windows 11 Build 2023.11050.2013.0 or higher, and then check for the Photos update by navigating to Microsoft Store > Library and then clicking on the Get Updates button.
When you first launch the Photos app, you will see a new navigation panel on the left side of the app. There is also the ability to view your images from OneDrive, and the folder location is stored locally. The new Photos app brings a gorgeous gallery, simplifying browsing, finding, managing, and consuming your collections of photos. Recently added is a dark mode, along with redesigned Windows settings.
On top, you will find an option to adjust the sort, filter, and change the size of the thumbnail preview, which has more options than the legacy app. This also brings rounded corners. At the top of the Photos app, you can find an option to search within the app. There is also a new slideshow and timeline scrollbar added to the recent update. It has the same options as the Legacy Photos App, with the main page divided into five categories that include Collection, Albums, People, and Video Editor.
Windows 11’s Slideshow format shows new transitions, animations, and many original music soundtracks. Another feature allows users to choose one or multiple images. Click the Slideshow button to start the slideshow. It includes access to the toolbar, which includes options for transitions, animation, and music. You even have the option to quickly access your favorite images and backup them to OneDrive. In addition, it comes with settings to import and manage your photos from external sources, such as phones and cameras.
The timeline scroll simply helps you jump to any point in time and find photos. Users can use the scrollbar for All Photos, OneDrive, and iCloud Photos gallery views sorted by year and month. Another major update to the Photos app is the Spot Fix feature, which allows you to remove blemishes or unwanted areas from your pictures.
Another feature is Drag and Drop, which allows you to choose items and use the Quick Toggle to confirm the files. You can also copy and paste images from the app into Outlook and Teams, as they can be directly inserted as attachments. To select multiple images, press the Shift key in the gallery to select multiple consecutive photos in a row, and hold down the Ctrl key to select non-consecutive items.
Now, in the Photos app, you have a redesigned interface with a new organisation. However, you may encounter an issue with missing settings, including support for iCloud Photos and the HEVC Video Extension on Windows 10, which are not available on Windows 11.
When you open any image with the Photos app, you have the functionality to edit the image with features like auto-enhance, similar to the legacy Photos app, but now it opens in a new window. However, the new photo editing app doesn’t offer video editing functionality. For this, you need to use Clipchamp to create and share videos.