Microsoft has started rolling out a redesigned Photos app for Windows 11 that combines local, OneDrive, and iCloud photos in a single gallery and adds a rebuilt editor and viewer, according to an announcement on the Windows Blog. The update is reaching Windows Insiders first, and Microsoft says availability will expand to all Windows 11 users later in 2026.
The release replaces three core parts of the app at once: the Gallery, the image editor, and the photo viewer. Microsoft also claims faster launch times and smoother scrolling across the board.
Windows 11 Photos Gallery Adds OneDrive and iCloud Sources
The new Gallery shows photos and videos stored on the PC, in OneDrive, and in iCloud in one view. Users can browse by date, people, and albums, filter by storage location, and mark favorites. Device-stored photos remain available offline, and signing in to OneDrive is not required to see local and iCloud content.
Search now accepts natural language queries, with Microsoft giving "a family picnic by the lake" as an example. On supported hardware, the improved Windows Search also covers photos in the local Pictures Library.
OneDrive users get extra features. Moments groups OneDrive photos into themed memories, creates seasonal recaps automatically, and can play them as slideshows or save them as videos. An "On this day" view surfaces photos from past years. iCloud content requires Apple's iCloud for Windows app, which syncs photos and videos into the Gallery; Shared Albums are still managed through the separate iCloud Shared Albums app.
Rebuilt Editor and Viewer in the New Photos App
The editor has been rebuilt with WinUI 3. Microsoft says it loads about 25% faster than Photos version 2026.11060 in its own controlled tests, with results varying by device. Tools are split into four groups:
- Crop, including templates sized for common social media platforms
- Enhance, with HDR preserved during editing
- Repair, which removes objects that users circle or brush over using an improved AI model
- Stylize, including Relight, which adds up to three light sources with adjustable color, focus point, brightness, and intensity
HEIC and WebP files can now be edited and saved in their original formats.
The viewer starts about 15% faster on average and up to 30% faster for HEIC images, the company claims. It adds arrow-key navigation, a single menu, SVG support, improved HDR viewing, and an info panel that shows the file name, date, camera details, a location map when location data exists, a color histogram, and visual search. Opening an image from File Explorer launches the new viewer.
Windows Insiders who want to try the redesign can do the following:
- Install the latest Photos app update on a PC enrolled in the Windows Insider Program.
- Open the Gallery and connect OneDrive, or install iCloud for Windows to add iCloud photos.
- Send feedback with Win + F, under Apps > Photos, in Feedback Hub.
Some features carry conditions. Moments works only with OneDrive photos, improved search depends on supported hardware, file types, and languages, and Relight is still expanding to all Windows 11 devices. Microsoft has not given an exact date for the release to non-Insider Windows 11 PCs beyond "later in 2026."
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