Microsoft has given the built-in Photos app in Windows 11 its most significant overhaul in years. Both the viewer and the editor have been redesigned from the ground up, and the update brings some notable performance gains along the way.

All your photos in one place

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The headline feature is the consolidation of photos and videos stored on OneDrive and Apple iCloud into a single gallery. Users no longer need to hop between different apps or devices to find their media. According to Microsoft, app launch times and gallery scrolling are also noticeably faster with the new approach.

To take advantage of the integration, users need to enable camera backup in the OneDrive mobile app on iOS or Android, and install iCloud for Windows following Apple's setup guide. Once configured, photos can be browsed by date, albums can be created and shared, and searches can be run based on descriptions or the people in a photo. The company also stresses that files remain accessible without an internet connection.

An editor that opens 25% faster

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The editing module now opens 25% faster and groups its tools under four main headings: Crop, Enhance, Repair and Stylize. HDR quality is preserved during editing, while HEIC and WebP files can be saved without altering their original formats.

The viewer gets a refresh too

It's not just the editor — the media viewer has also received a cleaner design. Microsoft says the viewer now starts 15% faster, and HEIC images can open with speed improvements of up to 30%. SVG vector files have also been added to the list of supported formats.

The new features are rolling out first to Windows Insider users on Windows 11, with availability for all Windows 11 users expected in the coming months of this year.