Earlier this week, a new app called OneDrive Photos appeared in the Start menu in Windows 11. As its name suggests, it lets you view and edit any photos you have stored in OneDrive, on your computer, or in the cloud.
But why did Microsoft release it so quietly? Are there any disadvantages to using it?
“OneDrive Photos is now generally available today, and we’re previewing the new collection as Photos (Preview) to Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel,” Microsoft said in a statement shared with PC World. “This update arrived via an update to OneDrive, not a separate installation.”
This explains how the new feature was released, but it raises another question. Microsoft says the app is a preview for Windows Insiders on the Experimental channel. Why is it also being released to Windows 11 PCs that aren't running Insider builds?
In recent weeks, the OneDrive Photos app has been showing up on production Windows 11 PCs even if you're not using your personal Microsoft account. This has caused a backlash, and Microsoft has not commented on it.
But what exactly does the app do? If you're using Windows 11, click the Start button and you should see OneDrive Photos in the Recent or Recommended apps section or in the Apps list. Open the app and you'll find several categories on the left - Moments, Gallery, People, Albums, Favorites, and This PC.
The default Gallery view shows all the photos, screenshots, and other images you store on OneDrive, starting with the most recent and ending with the oldest. Hover over the icons on an individual photo and you can get information about it, delete it, share it, or add it as a favorite.
Click on an image to open it full screen, where you'll find additional commands. Specifically, you can edit a photo by cropping it, adjusting its brightness and other features, or applying various filters. You can also open a photo in a different application, such as Paint or Microsoft Photos.
Privacy issues with facial recognition
The People category is the one that has caused a stir. Here, Microsoft displays the faces of people who appear in your OneDrive photo library. The app invites you to select a specific person and enter their name. Whether you name someone or not, clicking on a specific face reveals other photos of the same person based on facial recognition. This is a privacy issue…
Why
OneDrive has always been a part of Windows. It's built into File Explorer, and accessible on the web. But unlike the existing OneDrive integration, the new OneDrive Photos app goes a step further with a "People" feature that uses artificial intelligence.
What does Microsoft say?
“Face grouping is only visible to the account holder and is never shared. Users also have the ability to opt out at any time,” the company says . “Microsoft does not use these face scans to train AI models, and all data is deleted after 30 days. We will collect feedback from Insiders and continue to test the experience before rolling it out more broadly.”
OneDrive's new "People" feature in Windows 11 is disabled by default and, as Microsoft states, it does not train Artificial Intelligence on your photos.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
