The Windows 11 Photos app has improved significantly since Windows 11’s initial release — early versions were widely criticised as a regression from Windows 10’s Photos. The current version (as of Windows 11 23H2 and later) is a genuinely useful image viewer and basic editor that handles most everyday photo tasks without needing additional software. If you want the full context, see our Windows 11 How-To Guides.
Basic viewing and navigation
Photos opens images in a clean viewer with a filmstrip of the current folder’s images along the bottom. Navigation: arrow keys or clicking arrows in the viewer. The view fits the image to the window by default; click the image to toggle between fit-to-window and 100% actual pixels. Scroll wheel zooms in and out. Pinch-to-zoom works on touchscreens.
The header shows the current file name, image dimensions, and file size. Keyboard shortcuts in the viewer: Ctrl+0 for fit to window, Ctrl+Plus/Minus for zoom, Ctrl+Left/Right to rotate, Delete to move to Recycle Bin.
Editing tools
The Edit & Create section in Photos has expanded considerably. Click “Edit image” (or E when an image is open) → the editing interface opens with:
Adjustments:
- Light: exposure, brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks
- Colour: saturation, tint, warmth, vibrancy, colour curve (RGB channels independently)
- Clarity: sharpness, noise reduction, vignette, fade
- Auto-enhance: single click that applies automatic adjustments — decent starting point before manual refinement
Filters: a selection of presets that apply combinations of adjustments instantly. Good for quick stylistic choices without manual adjustment.
Crop and rotate: free crop with draggable handles, constrained aspect ratio crop options (1:1 square, 16:9, 4:3, custom), flip horizontal/vertical, rotate by degrees.
Markup: drawing tools — pen, highlighter, text. These annotate directly onto the image (not non-destructively). Save after markup to commit annotations.
Video editing — the underused capability
Photos includes a basic video editor that’s more capable than its low profile suggests. “Create a video” → opens the video project editor. From here:
- Import video clips and photos into a project timeline
- Trim clips (drag start/end handles)
- Add text overlays with timing control
- Add background music (from your own files or from Photos’ built-in audio library)
- Apply motion effects to photos (zoom, pan) for slideshow-style sequences
- 3D effects and filters (limited but present)
- Export as MP4
For creating simple photo slideshows, quick family video compilations, or basic “this is how you do X” instructional clips: the built-in video editor is sufficient. For multi-track editing, colour grading, or anything professional: Clipchamp (also free, also built into Windows 11) provides the next step up, and DaVinci Resolve is the free professional option.
Batch operations
Photos supports batch selection and operations: click the selection icon (or press Ctrl+click individual images in the grid view) → select multiple images → right-click for options: Delete, Share, Print, Set as lock screen background, or edit multiple images as a group.
For batch resizing or format conversion: Photos doesn’t support this directly. The Microsoft PowerToys Image Resizer (free) integrates into File Explorer’s right-click menu and handles batch resize and format conversion efficiently without a third-party app. This is the most common “Photos can’t do this” gap and PowerToys fills it cleanly.
Our guide on Snipping Tool covers related image capture and annotation, and our guide on Windows 11 storage management covers where OneDrive’s photo storage interacts with the Photos app. For more advanced photo editing without subscription cost, Darktable is a free, open-source Lightroom alternative that integrates well with a Windows workflow and handles the non-destructive RAW editing that Photos doesn’t.
OneDrive integration
Photos integrates with OneDrive: when OneDrive PC Folder Backup is enabled and Pictures is included in the backup, Photos can browse OneDrive photos directly from the app without needing to download files first. Photos → My photos → toggles between local and OneDrive sources.
This integration is most useful on machines with limited storage where Files On-Demand keeps most photos cloud-only: Photos can display and edit cloud-only photos (downloading them temporarily for editing) without them permanently occupying local storage. The iCloud Photos-style browsing experience works within Photos even when most images are stored in OneDrive rather than locally.
Setting Photos as the default image viewer
If Photos isn’t opening images when you double-click them: Settings → Apps → Default apps → “Photos” → set as default for image file types (JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, HEIC, RAW formats). Or: right-click any image → “Open with” → “Choose another app” → Photos → “Always.” Because HEIC files from phones do not always open cleanly elsewhere, our guide to converting HEIC to JPG on Windows covers the quickest ways to get a more universally readable copy.
HEIC (iPhone photo format) support: Windows 11 can open HEIC files natively if the “HEVC Video Extensions” and “HEIF Image Extensions” from the Microsoft Store are installed (some are free, some require a small purchase). Without these, Photos shows an error for HEIC files. If iPhone photos don’t open in Photos: install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store — this is the fix.
RAW format support
Photos supports RAW image formats from many camera manufacturers, though coverage isn’t universal. For cameras not natively supported: install the “Raw Image Extension” from the Microsoft Store. This adds RAW decoding for additional camera models. Check compatibility for your specific camera model before assuming Photos can or can’t open its RAW files.
RAW editing in Photos is basic — the adjustments apply but without the non-destructive workflow or lens profile corrections of dedicated RAW editors (Lightroom, Darktable, Capture One). For casual RAW viewing: Photos is adequate. For editing RAW files for final output: a dedicated RAW editor handles the task more completely.
| Task | Photos can do it? | Notes |
| View JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF | Yes | Core functionality |
| View HEIC (iPhone) | With extension | Install HEIF Image Extensions from Store |
| View RAW files | Partially | Install Raw Image Extension for unsupported cameras |
| Basic adjustments (exposure, colour) | Yes | Good range of adjustment controls |
| Crop and rotate | Yes | Aspect ratio constraints available |
| Batch resize/convert | No | Use PowerToys Image Resizer |
| Non-destructive editing | No | Edits are saved to the original file |
| Video editing (basic) | Yes | Timeline editor with text, music, trim |
The Windows 11 Photos app serves its purpose well for viewing and quick editing of photos — the daily tasks most users need most of the time. The clear gaps (batch operations, non-destructive editing, professional RAW processing) point to specific companion tools rather than replacing Photos entirely. Knowing what Photos can and can’t do focuses the choice of when to stay in Photos and when to reach for something else.
AI-powered features in Photos
Newer versions of the Windows 11 Photos app include AI-assisted editing features on supported hardware (Copilot+ PCs with NPU, and some other hardware configurations):
- Background removal: automatically segments the subject from the background in portraits and clear subject photos. One-click removal with adjustable refinement. Produces a PNG with transparent background suitable for use in presentations, documents, or design work.
- Generative erase: select an unwanted object in a photo → Photos uses AI to fill in the background behind it. Similar to Photoshop’s Content-Aware Fill but built into the basic viewer. Results vary by image complexity; straightforward backgrounds produce better results than complex ones.
- Photo tags and search: Photos analyses image content and allows searching by subject — searching “dog” or “beach” surfaces images containing those subjects without manual tagging. Requires Microsoft account and opt-in to AI features.
These features are available selectively based on hardware and account settings. If the AI features don’t appear in your Photos app: check Windows Update for the latest app updates and check whether Copilot+ PC features have been rolled out to your hardware configuration.
Printing from Photos
With an image open → Print (Ctrl+P) → the print dialog shows print options including: paper size, image size and position, number of copies, printer selection. For photo printing: the “Photo” paper type setting in the printer’s preferences (not in Photos itself) affects print quality significantly. Photos provides a print preview that’s accurate enough to judge layout before committing ink and paper.
Contact sheet printing (multiple photos per page): File → Print → “Contact sheet” layout prints multiple images on a single page — useful for reference sheets, selecting from a batch, or creating compact printed archives. Select multiple images in the grid view before printing to print selected images as a contact sheet.
Photos keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| Arrow keys (left/right) | Previous/next image in folder |
| Ctrl+0 | Fit image to window |
| Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- | Zoom in/out |
| Ctrl+Left / Right | Rotate image |
| E | Edit mode |
| Delete | Move to Recycle Bin |
| Ctrl+P | |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save as (to a different location) |
| F (while editing) | Crop tool |
Comparing Photos to dedicated viewers
Third-party image viewers (IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, XnViewMP) have more features than Photos — faster navigation between large image collections, more format support, non-destructive editing, better EXIF data display, scripting and batch operations. For users who work with large photo libraries or need features that Photos doesn’t support: these tools remain the right choice.
For users who just need to view and occasionally edit everyday photos: Photos is simpler, better-integrated with Windows (OneDrive, print, share), and adequate for the typical range of tasks. The choice isn’t Photos vs everything else — it’s knowing which tool fits which task. Photos for everyday photo viewing and quick edits; a dedicated viewer for serious photo work or large library navigation.
The Photos app in Windows 11 has found a reasonable balance between accessibility and capability. It’s not trying to be Lightroom, and it’s better for not trying — what it does, it does cleanly. The AI features (background removal, generative erase) add genuinely useful capabilities that were previously inaccessible without paid software. For the daily photo workflow of most Windows 11 users: viewing, basic editing, and occasional video compilation, Photos handles it without requiring anything additional.
Photos and video slideshow creation
A less-known capability: Photos can create automatic video slideshows from selected images. Select photos in the grid → “Create video” → Photos applies motion effects, transitions, and background music automatically. The auto-generated video can be edited in the video editor before saving. This produces a presentable photo slideshow video in minutes without manual timeline assembly — appropriate for sharing family photo collections, event recaps, or project documentation as a video.
The “Best Photos” video (another auto-creation option): Photos analyses a folder’s images, selects the “best” ones based on subject recognition and technical quality, and assembles them automatically. Results are variable — the selection algorithm makes decent choices for some photo collections and questionable ones for others. It’s a starting point that usually needs curation, not a finished product.
EXIF data viewing
With a photo open: click the information icon (i) → Shows EXIF data — camera make and model, exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO), date and time taken, GPS coordinates if embedded, focal length, and more. This is useful for understanding why a photo looks the way it does technically, or for extracting location data from travel photos.
GPS coordinates shown in EXIF data can be clicked to open the location in Maps — allowing photos to be placed on a map from within Photos. Privacy note: this EXIF data, including GPS coordinates, is embedded in photos by default when smartphones take photos. Sharing photos without removing EXIF data shares location information alongside the image. Photos doesn’t include an EXIF-stripping tool; for removing EXIF before sharing, the ExifTool command-line utility or third-party apps handle this outside of Photos.
Photos has become a more complete tool with each major Windows 11 update. Users who dismissed it on initial Windows 11 release may find the current version considerably more capable than their experience suggested. The most practical approach: open it with current photos, explore the editing interface and AI features, and assess whether it meets current needs before maintaining a third-party viewer as the default. It may cover more ground than expected.
One final practical note: when Photos saves an edited image, it saves over the original by default. There’s no non-destructive layer system. If you want to keep the original and the edited version: use “Save a copy” (from the three-dot menu or Ctrl+Shift+S) rather than “Save” to create a separate edited file while preserving the unmodified original. Developing the habit of “Save a copy” rather than “Save” for any meaningful edit prevents the common situation of accidentally overwriting a photo with an edit you later regret. See also Windows 11 Registry Editor for a related case.
