Microsoft Photos

Microsoft Photos is a free photo management desktop app available in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. It allows users to view, organize, and edit their photos and videos, located both at their local storage and on a selection of compatible cloud hosting platforms such as OneDrive and iCloud Photos.

Featuring a wide array of navigation, search, and filtering tools, this lightweight application can help users of all knowledge levels to take full control over their photo libraries, organize them, back them up to cloud storage, and perform a large offering of additional functions.

Main Features

Microsoft Photos app serves as a hub for viewing and light editing of all photos that users store on their local and supported cloud storage services. The app allows fast discovery and filtering of photographs of all resolutions, sizes, and formats, with a built-in tool for basic editing.

Users can also take full advantage of some automated features, such as background backup to the cloud storage, or automatic creation of video collages out of local photos and videos, which the Photos desktop app by Microsoft automatically enriches with attractive music and video effects. The support for manual creation of such videos is also present within the app, empowering users to unleash their creativity and create fun videos that are ready for sharing with family, friends, and online audiences.

Editing features include basic tools for cropping, rotating, and adjusting color and exposure, as well as more advanced options like adding filters and text overlays. The main UI interface promotes easy discovery of photos and videos, with built-in support for searching (always located at the top of the dashboard), filtering, tagging, and searching via tags.

All found images are shown as thumbnails that include a small icon that signifies the format of the file (image or video) and the location of the file (local or cloud). MS Photos can be marked with a Favorites tag, and the app also features a built-in diagnostic for OneDrive cloud storage, enabling users to quickly see available free space on cloud storage.

Installation

Microsoft Photos is fully optimized for Windows 11 and can be easily installed with a single click on the “Get” button on its official Microsoft Store page. The app is lightweight, fast, and localized to over 60 international languages.

FAQs

What is Microsoft Photos used for on Windows?
Microsoft Photos is the default image viewer and basic media editor in Windows. It allows users to view photos, organize collections, create albums, and perform simple edits like cropping, filters, and adjustments.

Does Microsoft Photos include video editing features?
Yes. It includes basic video editing tools such as trimming, splitting, adding music, and simple effects, making it useful for quick edits without needing separate software.

How does Microsoft Photos handle organization and search?
It can automatically group photos by date, location, or folders, and includes search features to find images quickly. Some versions also use AI to recognize content and improve search results.

Is Microsoft Photos fast and reliable for everyday use?
It depends. While it offers a modern interface and useful features, some users report slower performance compared to lightweight viewers, especially with large image libraries.

Is Microsoft Photos still relevant in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, it remains a default all-in-one solution for basic photo viewing and editing on Windows, though power users often switch to faster or more specialized alternatives.

Alternatives

IrfanView – A fast and lightweight image viewer with support for many formats and basic editing tools.

FastStone Image Viewer – An image viewer with built-in editing features, slideshow tools, and batch processing.

XnView – A versatile image viewer and organizer that supports hundreds of formats and batch operations.

PROS

• Photo Editing Tools
• Automatic Photo Organization
• OneDrive Integration
• Easy Sharing Options
• Slideshow and Collage Creation

CONS

• Possible Performance Issues
• No Cloud Storage without OneDrive
• Possible Ads in Free Version

Overall

Microsoft Photos is a free basic photo/video management and editing app that's easy to use and integrates well with OneDrive. It's fast, simple to use, and can help users of all knowledge levels to better organize their photo and multimedia library.