First look: Microsoft has unveiled an updated Photos app for Windows 11 with a new native editor and image viewer, as well as an all-new gallery. The update is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to make Windows 11 faster and easier to use by fixing long-standing bugs and reducing resource usage. The rollout is initially for Windows Insiders, with a broader release for all Windows 11 users expected later this year.
The new editor contains several useful tools. Crop helps adjust the frame, composition, and aspect ratio, while Enhance fine-tunes light, color, and the overall look of a photo. “Repair” allows users to fix errors and imperfections, and “Stylize” changes the appearance of an image.
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The editor also introduces Relight, which can be used to correct the lighting and exposure of a photo during post-processing. It also supports HDR, HEIC and WebP image editing as well as AI-powered removal of unwanted objects from the background.
Microsoft says the next-generation AI model behind the object removal tool delivers “better results and faster processing than ever before.” To use it, select Repair from the editing options in the right pane, then circle or paint over the object with the brush.
Speed, or lack thereof, has been one of the biggest complaints about Windows 11 and its built-in apps. Microsoft says the newly created editor launches 25% faster than the existing version and reportedly offers smoother navigation and scrolling as part of the company’s efforts to make Photos the default editor for most Windows 11 users.
According to Microsoft, the redesigned viewer opens photos on average 15% faster and HEIC images up to 30% faster. The company also touts a cleaner photo-first design, smoother arrow key navigation, improved HDR viewing, and support for new file types, including SVG.
Gallery maintains its OneDrive and iCloud integration, allowing users to open and edit local photos and videos in addition to cloud-stored files. Users can also download photos and videos from their OneDrive and iCloud accounts to local storage via File Explorer for offline access.
However, unlike the redesigned editor and viewer, the new gallery is a web wrapper, and that doesn’t go down well with power users. Commenters on Reddit and
