The Photos app in Windows 11 gathers photos from your PC, phone, cloud storage accounts, and other devices, and puts them in one place where you can more easily find what you’re looking for.
To get started, in the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photosapp from the results. Or, select Open the Photos app using the link below:
Open the Photos app
Help the app find more photos
The Photos app automatically displays the photos and videos in the Pictures folder on your PC and OneDrive. Here’s how to add more source folders to the Pictures folder.
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotosapp from the results.
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Go to Folders in the left navigation bar.
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Select Add a folder.
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Find the folder on your PC that you'd like the Photos app to include, and choose Select Folder to add it to the app.
The Photos app will show updated content from the new folders as you add and remove content.
Copying content: If you copy a photo, video, or folder in the Photos app, the content remains in its original location and a duplicate is added to the newly specified location.
Moving content: If you move a photo, video, or folder in the Photos app, the content location on your device will also be moved. For example, the folder will no longer exist at its original location.
Removing content: If you no longer want a photo, video, or folder to appear in Photos, you can remove it by right clicking(or select and hold) the item name in the left navigation bar. Removing a folder from the Photos app does not delete that folder’s contents from your Windows machine.
Deleting content: If you delete photos or videos stored in folders from the Photos app, they are permanently deleted from your Windows machine.
Import photos and videos
You can import photos and videos you have stored on a camera’s SD card, a USB drive, a phone, or on another device.
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Use a USB cable to connect your device to the PC.
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotosapp from the results.
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Select Import from the App bar.
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Your devices will automatically show under Connected devices. Choose your device from the list of connected devices.
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Select the photos and videos you would like to import.
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Choose the location of the destination folder for import.
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Decide if you want to permanently delete the photos and videos from your importing device by checking or unchecking the Delete items after importbutton.
Warning:Checking the Delete items after import buttonpermanently removes the photos or videos from your importing device.
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Select Confirm to move the photos and videos.
Note:If you're using an Android phone and Import isn't working, you might need to change your phone's USB setting to allow it to transfer photos.
Connect to OneDrive
The Photos app can connect to your OneDrive account so you can see all your photos and videos in one place. You can view these on the OneDrive tab in the Photos app onceyou’ve connected to OneDrive. The OneDrive tab in the Photos app only displays photos and videos that are stored in the “Pictures” folder on OneDrive.
When you view a photo or video in your cloud collection, it automaticallydownloadsto your Windows machine. Oncedownloaded, any changes you make to that photo or video file (move, edit, delete) willsyncback to your cloud.
In the Photos app’s OneDrive tab, you'll see your personal albums and features such as OneDrive memories. The OneDrive memories are automatically generated by OneDrive, notthe Photos app. Selecting OneDrive Memories or albums in the Photos app takes you to their location on OneDrive web.
To connect to OneDrive in the Photos app:
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotosapp from the results.
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Go to OneDrive in the left navigation bar.
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Select the Sign in button to sign in to your OneDrive account. Provide the app permissions to access your info.
You can control whether OneDrive is connected to the Photos app under the Photo app’s settings.
Moving or copying content: Changes made to your OneDrive content are made to both the content stored on your Windows machine and to the content on OneDrive. Changes made to OneDrive content on Windows are also synced to OneDrive.
Deleting content: If you delete OneDrive photos, videos, or folders from the Photos app, they are sent to your Window’s recycle bin from the folder they came from on your Windows machine. They will also be deleted from your OneDrive account. Deleted files will be available in the OneDrive recycle bin for 30 days, after which time they will be permanently deleted.
Upload mobile photos and videos to OneDrive automatically
One of the simplest ways to copy all your photos and videos to one place in the Photos app is to set up automatic upload to OneDrive of Photos from your mobile device.
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Open the Photos app, go to OneDrive in the left navigation bar and sign in to OneDrive on your Windows PC.
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Install the OneDrive app on your iOS or Android device.
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From the OneDrive app on your iOS or Android device, turn onCamera Uploadin the OneDrive app’s settings. The latest photos and videos that you take will automatically start uploading to OneDrive.
Once uploaded to OneDrive, those photos and videos will automatically appear in the Photos app on your PC if you have OneDrive connected to your Photos app.
Connect to iCloud
The Photos app can also connect to your photos collection on iCloud. The Photos app only reads from your iCloud account; changes made to your iCloud collection on your Windows machine do not sync back to iCloud. The Photos app does not show favorites from iCloud or iCloud albums.
To connect to iCloud:
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotosapp from the results.
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Goto the iCloud tab.
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Select the Get iCloud for Windows button. You will be prompted to go to the Microsoft Store and download the iCloud for Windows app.
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Open the iCloud for Windows app, sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID, and then choose Photoson the iCloud app to view your iCloud media in the Photos app.
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Open or go back to the Photos app and go to the iCloud tab. You will be able to see all your iCloud content.
You can control whether iCloud is connected to the Photos app under the Photos app’s settings.
Moving, copying, or deleting content: When you make changes to iCloud content, those changes are only made to the content stored on your Windows machine. Those changes are not synced back to iCloud.
Previous legacy versions of the Photos app gather photos from your PC, phone, and other devices, and put them in one place where you can more easily find what you’re looking for.
To get started, in the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photosapp from the results. Or, selectOpen the Photos app using the link below:
Open the Photos app
Find photos fast
You'reable to browse your collection by date, album, video project,folder, or tags you have applied to your photos. You also have the option of turning on the facialgrouping featureas another way of finding photos in your collection. Facial grouping finds similar faces across photos or videos and sorts those groupings into albums,allowing you to tag those albums with nicknames you choose. This feature can be turned on or off in the Photos app'ssettings pageand in the People tab. Learn more aboutthe facial grouping feature.
For more information about the data that's collected and stored when you use the previous legacy versions of the Photos app, see "Photos legacy" in the "Photos" section in thePrivacy Statement.
Upload photos automatically
One of the simplest ways to copy all your photos and videos to one place in the Photos app is to set up automatic upload to OneDrive from your mobile device.
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Sign in to your OneDrive account in the Photos app by selecting the person icon in the top right corner. Install the OneDrive app on your iOS or Android device.
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On your iOS or Android device, turn on Camera Uploadin the OneDrive app's settings. The latest photos and videos that you take will automatically start uploading.
Once uploaded, photos and videos will automatically appear in the Photos app on your PC.
Get more help transferring photos and videos from your Android device or iPhone to a PC.
Import photos and videos
You can import photos and videos you have stored on a camera’s SD card, a USB drive, or on another device.
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Use a USB cable to connect your device to the PC.
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotos appfrom the results.
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SelectImportand follow the instructions to import from a folder or a USB device. The app automatically selects items you haven't imported before, or you can choose what to import.
Note:If you’re using an Android phone and Import isn’t working, you might need to change your phone’s USB setting to allow it to transfer photos.
Help the app find more photos
The Photos app automatically displays the photos and videos in the Pictures folder on your PC and OneDrive. Here’s how to add more source folders to the Pictures folder.
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In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select thePhotos appfrom the results.
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Select See more > Settings.
(Video) Display Images in your Microsoft Access Forms and Reports Without Storing Them in the Database! -
Under Sources, select Add a folder.
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Choose a folder from your PC, an external drive, or a network drive connected to your PC, and then select Add this folder to Picturesto add it to the Photos app.
Subfolders of the folders that you add will be included, too.
FAQs
How do I find all my photos on my hard drive? ›
Open File Explorer by clicking its taskbar icon or by pressing Win + E. Next, click This PC on the left-hand side pane. Type kind:picture in File Explorer's search bar and press Enter. This should display all your pictures, but you might have to wait for a few minutes for the results to load.
How do I check my total Pictures? ›Navigate to your Google Dashboard on your computer and log in. Scroll down until you see Google Photos; click on it. You should see an Album count and a photo count.
Where are all my photos? ›On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Photos . At the bottom, tap Library Find the folder under Photos on device. If available, open your device folders to find your missing item. If you want your device folder items to appear in your Photos tab, you can back them up automatically.
How do I recover photos from my hard drive? ›1. First, double-click the recycle bin folder on your computer desktop. 2. Search for deleted photos in the recycle bin; select and restore them to the original location once you find them.
How do I find old Pictures on my computer? ›- Way 1: Restore Images from a Recycle Bin.
- Way 2: Try Windows Backup Feature.
- Way 3: Data Recovery Software ✅
- Way 1: Recover photos from Trash Bin.
- Way 2: Restore media files using Time Machine Backup.
- Way 3: Try iTunes Backup.
- Way 4: Use a Photo Recovery Software for Mac ✅
With Microsoft Office Picture Manager you can manage, edit, share, and view your pictures from where you store them on your computer. The Locate Pictures feature helps you find your pictures with powerful search, and when you find them, Picture Manager can correct your pictures, if needed.
Where are Microsoft account pictures stored? ›Open File Explorer from the taskbar. If you don't see File Explorer on the taskbar, select Start and type File Explorer. Go to C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures.
Where is Microsoft photos stored? ›Windows itself stores images in your “Pictures” folder.
How many photos are in my photo library? ›Open the Photos app. In the bottom-right corner, tap Albums, then the top-left album named All Photos. At the bottom of that album, you will see the exact number of photos and videos in your photo library, including any Hidden photos.
How do you check if all my photos are on Google Photos? ›- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
- Select a photo or video.
- Select More .
- Scroll to “Details.”
- If the photo is backed up, the backup status and size displays beneath Backed up . Tip: You can change the backup quality at any time.
How many photos total Google Photos? ›
Microsoft released a new version of the Photos app for Windows 11 in October 2022. To find out which version of the Photos app you are running: In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos app from the results.
Why are all my photos gone? ›Where Did All my Photos Go Android? If you deleted the photos in the Gallery of your Android phone, then the deleted photos will go to Trash. The photos in the trash will be automatically removed after 15 days. And the erased photos data goes to the operating system file folder of Android.
What do I do if I lost all my photos? ›- Step 1: Check your account. Some photos can seem to disappear because you're on a different account. ...
- Step 2: Find photos from apps like Facebook or Instagram. It may be in your device folders. ...
- Step 3: Check if your photo is deleted. If your photo is still in trash, you may be able to get it back.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Photos app .
- At the bottom, tap Photos.
- At the top, tap a memory. To move to the next or previous photo, tap or swipe right or left. To skip to the next or previous memory, swipe up or down. To pause on a photo, touch and hold it.
Yes? A sure shot way is to trust a professional photo recovery software. They are designed to recover lost or permanently deleted photos from your computer drive, regardless of the cause of photo loss. Tools like Stellar Photo Recovery can restore photos shot with any DSLR, Android, iPhone, webcam, CCTV, etc.
How do I recover permanently deleted photos in Windows 10? ›- Open the Start menu.
- Type “restore files” and hit Enter on your keyboard.
- Look for the folder where you deleted files were stored.
- Select the “Restore” button in the middle to undelete Windows 10 files to their original location.
Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or select and hold the Start menu (or right-click), select File Explorer , then select a search location: To quickly find relevant files from your PC and the cloud, search from Home. To find files stored inside a folder, search from a folder like Downloads.
How do I access files on an old hard drive? ›- Connect it using a special USB adapter cable.
- Hack an external HDD.
- Build your own external HDD.
- Use a USB docking station for disk drives.
- Install the disk in your PC.
- Install the HDD in a laptop.
A hard drive can store thousands of image files and hours of video footage. As well as being one of the best ways to store photos, they are also great for archiving invoices and other documents. You plug it into your device using a USB cable and transfer the photos.
Are pictures stored on hard drive or memory? ›
Hard drive storage is typically used for long-term storage of various types of files. Higher capacity hard drives can store larger amounts and sizes of files, such as videos, music, pictures, and documents. "Virtual memory" is hard disk space that has been designated to act like RAM.
Why is my hard drive not showing all files? ›One likely cause of files not appearing from an External HDD is that your drivers aren't up to date. This can happen if you plug the drive into a computer that it has never been plugged into before, or if you have run updates on your machine since the last time the drive was plugged in.
Are all files stored on hard drive? ›A hard drive is the hardware component that stores all of your digital content. Your documents, pictures, music, videos, programs, application preferences, and operating system represent digital content stored on a hard drive.
Why can't I see all my files on one drive? ›If you still can't find your files
Your file might not have synced yet. Files saved with Office 2016 upload to OneDrive first, and then they sync with your local PC. If you're having trouble syncing Office files, the Office Upload cache system may be interfering with OneDrive sync. Your file might not have synced yet.
You can attempt to retrieve the data yourself by connecting the hard drive from the dead computer to another functional computer. Assuming the hard drive is still functional, you can then access that hard drive through My Computer or File Explorer to view and copy files from the hard drive.
Can you still recover files from hard drive? ›Yes, files can be recovered from a failed hard drive by using a skilled data recovery service. Failed hard drives cannot be salvaged with recovery software since the operating system cannot access the device to allow the application to recover the data.
How do I get files off a hard drive that won't turn on? ›- Use a small screwdriver to remove the screws holding the cover on your computer. ...
- Remove the hard drive. ...
- Plug the universal drive adapter into the hard drive's data connection port.