Now it’s official: Windows 11 File Explorer will finally benefit from a photo gallery worthy of the name. As a central part of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 11 File Explorer is set to see many changes in the coming months. Microsoft has been rumored to be working on a major overhaul of its OS file manager since the beginning of the year.
In late February, the first hints in this direction began to distill, particularly after a leaker discovered a photo gallery hidden in File Explorer. Microsoft has just formalized the information by revealing this new feature in the latest Windows 11 Insider release released on the developer channel.
A bit of Google Photos in File Explorer
By releasing Windows 11 Build 23435 to members of its Insiders program, Microsoft revealed how Windows 11’s File Explorer Gallery mode will look like the Windows 11 Photo Library. Photos are organized by era from newest to oldest , with the ability to quickly browse photos from the past by year, from a chronological frieze grafted in to the right of the window. An organization reminiscent of that of Google Photos.
©Microsoft
©MicrosoftAlso note that if you use the automatic backup and sync feature of your smartphone’s Camera Roll with OneDrive, the most recently taken photos and videos appear first in Gallery.
Microsoft also states that this gallery can also be accessed through the File Explorer dialog box, which allows you to select a file stored on your PC’s internal storage. For example, when inserting an attachment or importing a file into a program, you can access the contents of the gallery to select the photos and videos you want.
For the rest, Microsoft explains that it is still investigating the options for showing badges in the login area of the operating system’s start menu. The company hasn’t yet confirmed whether or not it will eventually integrate this system, which looks more like self-promotion for OneDrive and Microsoft 365 than functionality as such.