Microsoft Photos September 2024 Update Rolling Out to Windows Insiders

Hello Windows Insiders,

Microsoft is excited to announce the rollout of a new update for the Microsoft Photos app, starting with Windows Insiders on Windows 11 across all Insider Channels. This will gradually extend to Windows 10 users in the Beta and Release Preview Channels. Not every Insider will receive this update right away, but over time, these new features will reach more users. Here’s a look at what’s new and improved.

Access iCloud Photos on Windows 10

For the first time, Windows 10 users can sync and view their iCloud photos directly in the Microsoft Photos app. To get started, go to the iCloud Photos section within the Photos app, download the latest iCloud for Windows app from the Microsoft Store, sign in using your Apple ID, and select the option to sync your iCloud photos. Within minutes, your iCloud content will appear automatically in the Photos app.

Windows App SDK and WinUI3 Support on Windows 10

In April, Microsoft updated the Photos app on Windows 11 to run on the modern Windows App SDK platform, which introduced a cleaner UI and improved performance. Now, this update is being brought to Windows 10 as well. The upgrade ensures a smooth, consistent experience across both Windows 10 and 11. Don’t worry—all the features and functions you’re used to in the Photos app will still be there in this new version.

Improved Gallery Navigation

To make it easier to find your photos, Microsoft has updated the navigation panel in the Gallery. Now, the Gallery option at the top will let you access all your photos in one place, whether they’re stored on your PC, iCloud, or OneDrive.

• To view cloud-synced photos, simply click on OneDrive – Personal, OneDrive – Business, or iCloud Photos.
• Under "This PC" at the bottom, you’ll find folders and content from your computer that have been added to the Photos app. You can add more photos and videos by clicking on the Add Folder icon next to "Gallery."

Image Search with Bing

Microsoft has introduced a new Visual Search with Bing feature. While viewing an image, you can now search for similar images and related content online by clicking the Bing Visual Search icon at the bottom of the photo or by right-clicking the image. This will bring up search results in Bing, including similar images, related products, and more.

Other Fixes and Enhancements

• A new option allows you to run the Photos app in the background with minimal processes, speeding up startup time. If you don’t want Photos running in the background, you can turn off this setting in Performance under Settings.
• You can now edit images directly from File Explorer or the desktop. Right-click on any image and choose Edit in Photos, which will open the Photo Editor. From there, you can crop, rotate, mark up, and apply AI-powered edits to your photo.

To enjoy these new features, update your Photos app to version 2024.11080.30001.0 or higher. Since the update is rolling out gradually, it might not be available immediately. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share your feedback in the Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Apps > Photos.