IT · 2026-10-16
Windows 11 Photos App Gets a Makeover, Bringing PC, OneDrive, and iCloud Photos Together
Microsoft has redesigned the Windows 11 Photos app. You can now browse photos and videos stored on your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud in one place, while the editor and image viewer also get speed and feature improvements.
It may now take a little less effort to jump between your PC folders and cloud apps just to look at photos. Microsoft has given the Windows 11 Photos app a fresh redesign, letting users view photos and videos from their PC, OneDrive, and iCloud in one place. Based on Microsoft’s announcement reported by The Verge, here are the main changes.
PC and cloud photos in one gallery
With the new Photos app, photos and videos from multiple storage locations can be viewed in a single, unified gallery. You can browse content by date, organize and share albums, and also search by photo description or by people appearing in the image. Microsoft also says photos on the device can still be viewed even when you’re offline.
That said, connecting the services takes a bit of setup. To link OneDrive photos, you need to turn on camera backup in the OneDrive app for iOS or Android. To bring in iCloud photos, you have to set up iCloud for Windows. In other words, simply updating the app will not automatically gather all of your photos in one place; each service still needs to be connected individually.
Editing tools and speed have also been improved
The photo editor has been reorganized as well. Tools are grouped into four categories — crop, adjust, retouch, and style — making it easier to find what you need. Microsoft says the editor now launches 25% faster than before. HDR photos keep their quality during editing, and HEIC and WebP files can be edited and saved without changing their original format.
The image viewer has also been simplified. According to Microsoft’s announcement, app launch times are 15% faster, and opening HEIC images is up to 30% quicker. SVG has also been added to the list of supported file types. However, since these are vendor-reported improvements, the actual speed you experience may vary depending on your device and file setup.
Rolling out gradually before reaching all users
The new Photos app experience has started rolling out as an update for Windows Insiders, and Microsoft says it plans to make it available to all Windows 11 users later this year. That means the timing for general users will depend on their device and the update rollout schedule.
The key point of this redesign is not just changing the editing tools, but also making it easier to manage photos scattered across different storage locations within Windows. For people who use both OneDrive and iCloud, finding photos and organizing albums could become much simpler. Of course, the actual convenience will depend on how cloud syncing is set up and how your photos are stored.
PC and cloud photos in one gallery
With the new Photos app, photos and videos from multiple storage locations can be viewed in a single, unified gallery. You can browse content by date, organize and share albums, and also search by photo description or by people appearing in the image. Microsoft also says photos on the device can still be viewed even when you’re offline.
That said, connecting the services takes a bit of setup. To link OneDrive photos, you need to turn on camera backup in the OneDrive app for iOS or Android. To bring in iCloud photos, you have to set up iCloud for Windows. In other words, simply updating the app will not automatically gather all of your photos in one place; each service still needs to be connected individually.
Editing tools and speed have also been improved
The photo editor has been reorganized as well. Tools are grouped into four categories — crop, adjust, retouch, and style — making it easier to find what you need. Microsoft says the editor now launches 25% faster than before. HDR photos keep their quality during editing, and HEIC and WebP files can be edited and saved without changing their original format.
The image viewer has also been simplified. According to Microsoft’s announcement, app launch times are 15% faster, and opening HEIC images is up to 30% quicker. SVG has also been added to the list of supported file types. However, since these are vendor-reported improvements, the actual speed you experience may vary depending on your device and file setup.
Rolling out gradually before reaching all users
The new Photos app experience has started rolling out as an update for Windows Insiders, and Microsoft says it plans to make it available to all Windows 11 users later this year. That means the timing for general users will depend on their device and the update rollout schedule.
The key point of this redesign is not just changing the editing tools, but also making it easier to manage photos scattered across different storage locations within Windows. For people who use both OneDrive and iCloud, finding photos and organizing albums could become much simpler. Of course, the actual convenience will depend on how cloud syncing is set up and how your photos are stored.
Related search terms
#Windows 11 Photos app#Microsoft Photos redesign#OneDrive photos in Windows 11#iCloud photos on Windows 11#Windows 11 photo viewer#Windows 11 image editor#Windows Insider Photos update