Browse and manage your photos on Windows

The updated Photos app on Windows 11 helps you browse, organize, and edit photos and videos from your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud. You can use Photos with pictures stored on your PC without signing in to OneDrive.

In Photos, you can:

  • Browse photos and videos from your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud in Gallery.
  • Search by what's in your photos, not only by file name. On a Copilot+ PC, search also covers photos stored locally.
  • Find photos of friends or family in People or filter Gallery by people you've named.
  • Revisit highlights in Moments.
  • Create Albums.
  • Mark Favorites.
  • Edit photos.
  • Add local folders and use Windows actions with a photo: set it as your desktop background or lock screen, print it, or open it in File Explorer.

With a personal Microsoft account, you can use all these features. With a work or school account, you can browse Gallery, search for a photo by file name or tags, mark Favorites, and add local folders. Albums, Moments, and People aren't available for work or school accounts.

Screenshot showing Photos displaying your photos in a timeline, with navigation for Moments, Gallery, People, Albums, Favorites, photos stored on your PC, and the Recycle bin.

What's changing on Windows 11

An updated Photos experience is rolling out on Windows 11, starting with Windows Insiders and expanding to other Windows 11 users later this year. The experience includes an updated gallery and editor.

When the updated experience is available on your device, Photos will have an updated icon. To open the app, select Start, type Photos, and open Photos.

What can you do with photos on Windows?

Photos brings together tools for browsing, viewing, and editing your collection:

  • Gallery: Browse photos from your PC and connected cloud accounts.
  • Local folders: Your Pictures library appears automatically. You can add other folders from your PC.
  • Photo editor: Crop and adjust photos with the updated editor.
  • Offline browsing: Browse photos available on your device when you're not connected to the internet.
  • Windows integration: Set a photo as your desktop background or lock screen, print it, or open its location in File Explorer.

View photos on Windows

Select Start, type Photos, and open Photos.

You don't need to sign in to OneDrive to browse photos stored on your PC. Sign in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account to access your OneDrive photos.

You can also open Photos from the OneDrive activity center: select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar, then select View photos. This button is available when you're signed in to OneDrive with a personal Microsoft account.

Gallery shows photos from the sources you've added in one timeline, with the newest photos first. These sources can include OneDrive and your PC. Your Pictures library appears automatically, including photos stored only on your PC.

To add another local folder stored on your PC:

  1. Select This PC in the left navigation.
  2. Select Add a folder, then choose the folder you want to see.

Note

Showing a folder in This PC doesn't upload its photos to OneDrive. The photos stay on your computer unless you choose to upload them.

To narrow the photos currently shown, select Filter at the top of Gallery. You can filter by media type, favorites, source, orientation, and resolution. With a personal account, you can also filter by people you've named.

If you want to choose which OneDrive folders appear in Gallery, or to hide screenshots and GIFs:

  1. Select the Options button next to Filter.
  2. Under Photos from OneDrive, select All OneDrive folders or Only the Pictures folder.
  3. Under Declutter, select Hide screenshots and GIFs.

Search your photos

Select the search bar at the top and describe what you're looking for, like "beach" or "birthday cake." For your personal OneDrive photos, search can find pictures by what's in them, not just file names or dates. For your work or school OneDrive photos, search can find photos by file name or tags. On a Copilot+ PC, search also covers photos stored on your PC. To learn about searching local photos, see Search photos.

Turn off face grouping

The People feature groups photos of the same person so you can find their photos faster. Face grouping runs in the cloud and only on the photos in your OneDrive. Photos that are only on your PC aren't processed.

To turn off face grouping from the desktop app:

  1. In Photos, select Settings.
  2. Select More settings. OneDrive settings opens in your browser.
  3. Select Photos, then turn off the setting in the People section.

All face grouping data is permanently removed within 30 days.

To learn how face grouping works, how your data is used, and how to find and name people, see Group photos by people in OneDrive. To learn how Microsoft approaches AI features like this one, see Responsible AI.

Photos and OneDrive sync

OneDrive policies in Photos control access to OneDrive photos. You can still use Photos with pictures stored on your PC without signing in to OneDrive.

To stop OneDrive file sync on your device, see Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive.

Manage Photos on devices in your organization

Existing OneDrive policies apply to OneDrive functionality in Photos:

These policies don't prevent users from using Photos with local content.

For organizations using AppLocker packaged-app rules to block Microsoft Photos, update the rules to include Microsoft.OneDrive.Photos if you intend to continue blocking it. If your organization disables or removes Store-originated apps using DisableStoreApps, the update won't be installed on affected devices.

For most organizations, no new or immediate configuration is required. Review existing Windows app-management and OneDrive policies, especially rules that intentionally block or remove Photos.

For OneDrive policy guidance, see Use OneDrive policies to control sync settings.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Photos look different on my PC?

An updated Photos experience is rolling out on Windows 11. It includes an updated gallery and editor. Select Start, type Photos, and open Photos to use the experience available on your device.

Do I need to be a Windows Insider to get the updated Photos app?

The updated experience is rolling out to Windows Insiders first, with availability expanding to other Windows 11 users later this year.

Do I need to sign in to use Photos?

No. You can browse pictures stored on your PC without signing in to OneDrive. Sign in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account to access your OneDrive photos.

Which features can I use with a work or school account?

You can browse Gallery, search, mark Favorites, and add local folders. Albums, Moments, and People are available for personal accounts, not work or school accounts.

Are the photos on my PC uploaded to OneDrive?

No. Showing photos stored on your PC in Photos doesn't upload them. They stay on your computer unless you choose to upload them to OneDrive. Photos stored in a folder synced with OneDrive are uploaded through OneDrive sync.

Does face grouping scan the photos on my PC?

No. Face grouping runs in the cloud and only on the photos in your OneDrive. Photos that are only on your PC aren't processed for face grouping. For details, see Group photos by people in OneDrive.

Can I turn off face grouping?

Yes. In Photos, select Settings > More settings. In your browser, select Photos, then turn off the setting in the People section. All face grouping data is permanently removed within 30 days.