The Photos app in Windows 11 is getting new AI-powered tools soon. Microsoft is currently testing an update that adds a Copilot button and shortcuts to AI tools to the File Explorer context menu, as well as the ability to search the web using recognized text. You can also use filters to customize the display of nested folders and galleries.
Image source: Microsoft
Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring have had the opportunity to test several new AI-powered features. Many of these features have been in development for some time, but their appearance in the Release Preview ring signals that they will soon be available in the general stable version of the system. Microsoft has scheduled an AI event for April 4, 2025, to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary. It is expected to unveil new AI features for Windows 11 and Microsoft apps.
In late January, Windows Insiders in Windows 11 and Windows 10 got optical character recognition (OCR) in the Photos app, supporting more than 160 languages. To recognize text, just click the Scan Text button in the app. Now you can use the Search the Web feature to find recognized text directly from the app. This makes it easier to extract and search online text results from documents, notes, screenshots, and other images.
Microsoft has added new shortcuts to AI tools in File Explorer, giving you quick access to AI-powered editing and visual search without opening the Photos app. Now, just right-click an image in File Explorer to add rich text, adjust the composition with object selection, or improve color. The Erase Object shortcut lets you quickly remove unwanted elements. And Visual Search powered by Bing quickly finds similar images and related products.
The Photos app gallery now has filters to customize how subfolders and galleries are displayed. The Show Subfolders feature shows all images and videos from subfolders in the gallery, which can make navigation easier in some cases.
A red-highlighted Copilot button has been added to the top of the Photos app, which uses AI to:
- Get photo editing tips;
- Learn interesting details about images;
- Optimize your photo by cropping.
Other changes worth mentioning include the addition of support for JXL files to the application.
The Photos app isn’t likely to compete with image editing software behemoths like Photoshop or CorelDraw, but it’s a useful tool for quickly making minor edits without the need for additional costs or subscriptions.