Hot Take Windows 11 will now have three ways to view your photos, because apparently one wasn’t enough

[Parkinsond]

Microsoft is splitting the Windows 11 Photos app in two.
The Photos app you use today is being renamed Photo Viewer and will only open and edit individual images, while a new Photos app, which is the web-based OneDrive Photos, takes over as a Gallery for pictures on your PC, OneDrive, and iCloud. Add the Gallery in File Explorer, and Windows 11 now has three ways to look at your photos.

Microsoft started rolling out the new Photos experience to Windows Insiders on October 15, 2026, and I’ve been using both apps on my Insider PC running build 26340.9616 since then.
It works, though it doesn’t feel like one joined-up Photos app anymore.

Windows 11 will now have three ways to view your photos, because apparently one wasn’t enough

Microsoft is renaming the Photos app to Photo Viewer and turning OneDrive Photos into the new Photos Gallery. We've tried both on Windows 11.

www.windowslatest.com