Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 1 day ago
Microsoft splits Windows 11 Photos into viewer and gallery apps
Microsoft is splitting Photos into two apps in Windows 11: a Photo Viewer for opening images and a Photos app focused on galleries and editing.
The gallery will bring together pictures stored on a computer, OneDrive and iCloud, and let people search using ordinary descriptions such as “sunset at the beach.”
The new Viewer is designed to open images faster and will support formats including SVG; Microsoft says regular photos will open 15% faster and HEIC files 30% faster.
The updated editor will also start faster, support HDR, HEIC and WebP, and include Relight, a tool for adjusting lighting.
Relight will be available on all Windows 11 devices, rather than only Copilot+ computers, while AI search of local files is limited to Copilot+ PCs.
The update is now going to Windows Insiders first, and Microsoft plans to release it to all Windows 11 users by the end of 2026, though it has not given an exact date.
Microsoft is dividing the Windows 11 Photos experience into a Photo Viewer for individual images and a separate Photos app with a gallery.
The gallery will bring together photos from a PC, OneDrive and iCloud, with search using natural-language descriptions.
Microsoft says the updated viewer and editor will open images faster and support additional file formats and features.
The update is first reaching Windows Insider participants, with a wider Windows 11 release planned by the end of 2026.
- Who
- Microsoft is updating its Photos experience for Windows 11 users.
- What
- The experience is being split into a Photo Viewer and a gallery-focused Photos app.
- When
- The update is first reaching Windows Insiders. Microsoft plans a wider release by the end of 2026.
- Where
- Windows 11.
- Why
- The new apps are intended to make it faster to view and edit images and easier to organize and find photos.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A Microsoft design executive posted about the new Photo Viewer and Editor.
Reports described the updated Photos experience and its appearance in a Windows Insider build.
Microsoft plans to release the update to all Windows 11 users.
- Gallery sources
- PC, OneDrive and iCloud
- Editor launch speed
- 25% faster, according to Microsoft
- HEIC opening speed
- 30% faster, according to Microsoft
- Supported viewer format
- SVG
- Wider release target
- By the end of 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
help you rediscover and organize your collection, give you more capable tools for your favorite shots, and make the everyday experience faster
Super excited to ship the new Photo Viewer and Editor! Faster launch times, nearly 50% less RAM used by the Editor, and tons of new features!
Posts on X
Super excited to ship the new Photo Viewer and Editor! Faster launch times, nearly 50% less RAM used by the Editor, and tons of new features! One detail worth showing off: Photo Viewer is now edge-to-edge. Zoom into a photo and watch it take over the entire window!
Photos gallery super fast 👀 🖼️