Microsoft announces Gallery for Windows users to access their photo collection

Are you a Windows 11 operating system user? Well, here is some good news for you. Microsoft is testing a new feature called ‘Gallery’. This new feature will make it easier for users to access their photos in Windows 11 operating system. The under-testing ‘Gallery’ feature can be accessed quickly through the File Explorer’s navigation panel. Also Read: Goodbye Windows 10! After 10 Years, Microsoft Officially Ends Free Support: What Can You Do

The default content that will be available on the ‘Gallery’ is the same as what we currently see in the All Photos view in the Photos app. In addition to it, the ‘Gallery’ will allow users to make some extra customisations to the source files and folders. Users can choose which folders are shown in Gallery through the Collection dropdown. Furthermore, they can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of their content, such as desktop backgrounds and SD card/camera imports. Also Read: PS6 And Next-Gen Xbox Expected to Launch in 2027; Xbox ‘Magnus’ Could Outperform Sony’s Console

The new feature for Windows 11 even provides an option to integrate your phone with it through OneDrive. “Gallery is optimized for accessing your most recently taken photos. If you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up on your phone, photos you take will show up automatically at the top of the view,” Microsoft said in a blog post. Also Read: Forget ChatGPT And Gemini Nano Banana! Microsoft Launches MAI-Image-1 - The In House Text-To-Image Tool

Moreover, the ‘Gallery’ simplifies the way users select photos for attachments or uploads. “Gallery also works from the file picking dialog, bringing that same ease of use to situations such as inserting attachments, building a PowerPoint deck, or crafting social media posts,” Microsoft further added.

The feature is currently being rolled out through Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23435 to a few testers and is not available to all Insiders on the Dev Channel as the tech giant plans to monitor feedback before rolling it out to everyone.

What’s more on the cards?

Microsoft is also exploring new badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA). Further, it is making significant changes to the way Windows manages which apps open specific files by default, and how users can pin programmes to their Start menu on the taskbar or on the desktop.