Microsoft brings PC, OneDrive, and iCloud galleries together in Photos

Microsoft has redesigned its Photos app for Windows 11, updating the editor and image viewer and bringing photos and videos from a PC, OneDrive, and iCloud into one gallery.

Users can browse files online or offline, organize and share albums, and search for photos by description or by the people shown. To combine galleries, they need to enable Camera Backup in the OneDrive mobile app on iOS or Android and set up iCloud for Windows. Microsoft says photos will remain available on the device without an internet connection.

Microsoft says the rebuilt editor launches 25 percent faster. Its tools are grouped into four categories: Crop, Enhance, Repair, and Stylize. The app also preserves HDR quality during editing and can edit and save HEIC and WebP images without changing their original formats.

The redesigned viewer launches 15 percent faster and opens HEIC images up to 30 percent faster, according to Microsoft. Support now also includes SVG files. The updated Photos experiences are rolling out to Windows Insiders on Windows 11, with a full launch for all Windows 11 users expected later this year.