After Panos Panay warmed up in a tweet earlier this month, today Microsoft officially introduced the redesigned Photos application in Windows 11 in detail. Microsoft said that since today, all Windows Insider project members of the Dev channel are invited to test this new Photos application.
In the official blog post, Microsoft stated that this redesign revolves around the three dimensions of smooth, easier to use, and more interesting. In Windows 11, you can re-experience and edit your photos. The redesigned photo app includes the following changes and improvements:
Beautiful new design
The Photos application has been redesigned to match the new visual design of Windows 11. This includes rounded corners and Mica design elements. The new visual design also includes a bolder typography style and a new distinctive theme palette.
The brand new photo browsing experience
You get a gorgeous full-screen borderless view of photos, as well as all the tools you need for basic photo editing through the updated toolbar. A new filmstrip (film) now appears at the bottom of the photo viewer, showing all items in one location, and allowing you to quickly jump to your photos directly in the viewer.
Multi-view experience
This view mode allows you to compare photos in the same window. This can be activated by selecting multiple items. Activate it by selecting multiple items from the “filmstrip” at the bottom of the photo viewer. You can release the photo editing toolbar and “filmstrip” function by clicking on the photo viewer to fully enjoy your photos. Then you can browse left and right without distraction. Just tap the screen again and the photo editing toolbar and “filmstrip” will reappear.
Updated photo editing toolbar
The updated photo editing toolbar makes it very easy to adjust photos: crop, rotate, polish, view metadata, “favorite” your favorites, and even draw on photos with a mouse or pen on supported devices. The updated photo editing toolbar also allows you to quickly access third-party photo editors installed on your computer. If you have a picture you can choose from Picsart’s whimsy, Luminar AI’s art templates and artificial intelligence-driven effects (coming to the Microsoft Store), Adobe Photoshop Elements’ extensive toolset, Corel PaintShop Pro’s graphic design capabilities, or Affinity Photo Benefit from the precision and power of the photo app, you will be able to launch these editors with just one click from the photo app and manipulate the picture you are looking at. (The integration of some of these applications is now live, others will be launched soon).
The redesigned photo app will make your photo browsing and editing experience on Windows 11 even better. You can let us know your thoughts on the redesigned photo app through the feedback center under Apps>Photos.
