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

[AFEH]

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

 

[lokamoka820]

Oh my god, I don’t have Microsoft Photos or OneDrive apps on my Windows 11 installation, so how can I view my photos?
Joking aside, I use IrfanView to view my photos and FastStone Image Viewer to manage them, so there's no need for anything Microsoft-related in this regard.

 

[AFEH]

Oh my god, I don’t have Microsoft Photos or OneDrive apps on my Windows 11 installation, so how can I view my photos?
Joking aside, I use IrfanView to view my photos and FastStone Image Viewer to manage them, so there's no need for anything Microsoft-related in this regard.

I have had Photos app pre-installed with W 11 26H2 fresh iso, but I still can see OndDrive in its side panel!

 

[brambedkar59]

MS Photos install size 1 GB vs 15 MB for PhoXoSee. And PhoXoSee is much faster.

 

[lokamoka820]

I have had Photos app pre-installed with W 11 26H2 fresh iso, but I still can see OndDrive in its side panel!

Is the OneDrive icon just for show, or can it still access your OneDrive photos even after it’s uninstalled?

MS Photos install size 1 GB vs 15 MB for PhoXoSee. And PhoXoSee is much faster.

I share the same perspective.

 

[AFEH]

for show

Indeed for show; I have OneDrive app uninstalled after fresh install of Windows.
I do not use cloud storage, only local backup copies.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Why you guys not moving from MS to Linux? after all this

 

[Sorrento]

Why you guys not moving from MS to Linux? after all this

I will be able to remove unneeded junk as I always have I'm pretty sure, though I don't use MS Photos of any description & never have, I use few of the MS add-ons or OneDrive, though happy with Windows, it still very tinker-able

 

[AFEH]

Why you guys not moving from MS to Linux? after all this

I Bill

 

[Captain Awesome]

I will be able to remove unneeded junk as I always have I'm pretty sure, though I don't use MS Photos of any description & never have, I use few of the MS add-ons or OneDrive, though happy with Windows, it still very tinker-able

How much AI & Other craps you will remove? Good that it work for you but not for me anymore.

 

[RoboMan]

Microsoft should stop with their garbage, heavy, all-in-one apps. For real, you can't be waiting several seconds for an image to dispaly in big 2026. And I'm talking decent hardware here.

Then you have alternative apps like PhoXoSee or IrfanView that display images in a millisecond, and it makes you wonder... Does Microsoft really not see all people want is to display their photos and videos as fast as possible? Nobody uses built-in edition tools or their crap, they all have separate software for that. Or don't even know how to use it.

 

[lokamoka820]

Why you guys not moving from MS to Linux? after all this

So, what will we talk about here on MT? Most Linux users on the forum stay quiet because they don’t have any problems to complain about.

 

[Captain Awesome]

So, what will we talk about here on MT? Most Linux users on the forum stay quiet because they don’t have any problems to complain about.

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