What you need to know
- Microsoft is now testing a new Photos app for Windows 11 among Insiders.
- The new Photos app is only available for some users in the Dev Channel.
- The app features a new gallery, simplified browsing, and an improved file management experience.
Microsoft recently outlined its plans to bring new features to Windows 11 in the future. Rather than only including new features within major annual updates, the company will release them gradually throughout the year. The first feature drop, which is expected in October, will include a new Photos experience. The new Photos app is now in testing among Insiders.
Microsoft's Dave Grochocki shared a blog post today about the new Photos app. It features a new gallery, simplified browsing, and an improved file management system. It's available now for some Dev Channel Insiders, meaning that only select users within the Dev Channel can try the new Photos app at the moment.
Microsoft outlined several new features in a blog post:
- Organize your photos with a productive and beautifully redesigned purpose-built experience.
- Easily backup your Photos to OneDrive and keep your memories safe.
- Celebrate a life well-lived with improved “Memories” experiences.
- Be productive with multi-window and multi-screen.
- Easily view your OneDrive storage quota usage and add more storage.
- Import and manage your photos from external sources such as your phone and camera.
The new Photos app (version 2022.31090.16004.0 and higher) will replace the current Photos app in future releases of Windows. Unlike the previous version of Photos, the new Photos app will not have a video editor. Windows 11 now has Clipchamp as its inbox video editor, so the Photos app no longer needs one.
The legacy Photos app will continue to be available through the Microsoft Store.
When the new Photos app rolls out in October, it will be part of a feature drop that includes tabs in File Explorer and an updated UI for Taskbar overflow.
