Windows 11 Photos app gets a new gallery, editor and viewer

Microsoft is rebuilding the Photos app on Windows 11. The new version has one gallery for pictures on your PC, in OneDrive and in Apple iCloud, a new editor and a faster viewer. It started reaching Windows Insider testers on 15 October 2026. Microsoft has not given a date for everyone else, so there is nothing to install yet.

What is new?

• Gallery. Photos from the PC, OneDrive and iCloud sit in one place. You can search by describing a picture in plain words, such as "team dinner", or filter by the people in it.
• Editor. Microsoft says it loads about 25% faster. It can crop, fix lighting, remove objects from the background, and edit HEIC, WebP and HDR files.
• Viewer. Microsoft says photos open up to 30% faster, with a cleaner layout and support for more file types.

You can keep using Photos without signing in to OneDrive. Photos stored only on the PC still show.

Why it matters at work

HEIC is the format iPhones save photos in. Staff who send phone photos of receipts, site visits or products to an office PC often struggle to open or edit them. Built-in HEIC and WebP editing should remove one small daily annoyance.

What to do

1. Do nothing for now on office PCs. Wait until Microsoft releases it to everyone.
2. If staff save work photos to OneDrive, check they use the company OneDrive, not a personal one, before the new gallery mixes them together.
3. Turn on Camera Backup in the OneDrive phone app only for company phones, so personal pictures do not land in work storage.

How SyncTech can help

Questions about Windows updates or OneDrive on your office PCs? Our help centre lists how to reach Synctech support.

Source and credit

We are sharing this news from Microsoft. This summary is written by Synctech in our own words.

• Meet the new Photos app on Windows 11, Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft, 15 October 2026: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2026/10/15/meet-the-new-photos-app-on-windows-11/ Retrieved 3 November 2026. Microsoft, Windows, OneDrive, Apple and iCloud are trademarks of their owners. Synctech is not connected with them. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. If anything here is wrong, email support@synctech.com.my and we will correct it.