Manage photos and videos with Microsoft Photos app

The Photos app allows users to view their photos and videos seamlessly. It supports a wide range of file formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF for photos, and MP4, MOV, and AVI for videos.

To view photos or videos using the photos app:

• Once the Photos app is open, you'll see a list of all the photos allowing you to scroll through and choose the one you desire. Additionally, you can utilize the sorting feature to arrange the list of photos according to your preferences for easier locating.

You can import photos and videos you have stored on a camera’s SD card, a USB drive, a phone (android or iPhone), or on another device. For more information, see how to import photos and videos to PC.

Related links:

• Import photos and videos from iPhone to Windows

• Import photos and videos from Android to Windows

• Import photos and videos from camera or USB to Windows

Note for iPhone: If you are having trouble with your iPhone import, make sure your device is unlocked and you’ve accepted the permissions.

Note for Android and other devices: If you’re using an Android phone or other device and import isn’t working, you might need to change your phone’s USB settings from Charging over USB to Transfer Files or Transfer Photos.

Get more help importing photos and videos from a phone to PC

You can organize your photos and videos into folders, making it easier to categorize and find specific media files.

To create folders in the photos app:

• Open Photos app and select the Folders tab on the left sidebar.

• Select Add a folder and choose the folder name.

• Drag and drop photos or videos from your collection into the new folder, or click on the Add photos button to select media to add.

Editing photos and videos in the Microsoft Photos app is a straightforward process. Whether you like to apply changes that affect your photo's quality, feel, and look—or you want to add information on top of your photos, the Photos app in Windows gives you all kinds of options for getting your photos and videos looking their best.

For more information, view how to edit photos and videos in Windows.

Photos app provides you the ability to connect to OneDrive and access all the media located in OneDrive from the Photos app. To enable this functionality, you must Sign In/connect to OneDrive account from the Photos app.

Connect to OneDrive from the Photos app:

• Open Photos app by typing Photos in the start menu.

• Go to OneDrive tab in the left navigation bar.

• Select the Sign in button to sign in to your OneDrive account. Provide the app permissions to access your info.

Upload the photos and videos from mobile 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. 

1. Ensure that you're connected to OneDrive on the Microsoft Photos app. This allows OneDrive content to sync to the Photos app.

2. Then, on your iOS or Android device, install the OneDrive app. You can download the latest version from your phone's Android or iOS app store.

3. From the OneDrive app on your iOS or Android device, turn on Camera Upload in 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.  For more information, see Sync files with OneDrive in Windows.

You can access all the media files on iCloud from the Photos app. Here's how:

• Open Photos app by typing Photos in the start menu.

• Select iCloud Photos from left navigation menu. You will be prompted to go to the Microsoft Store and download the iCloud for Windows app.

• Open the iCloud for Windows app, sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID, and then choose Photos on the iCloud app to view your iCloud media in the Photos app.

• Open or go back to the Photos app and select the iCloud Photos tab. You will be able to see all your iCloud content.

Photos app allows you to copy, move, remove or duplicate photos and videos. Here's how:

• Copying photos and videos: 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 photos and videos: 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.

• Remove photos and videos: 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—it will just no longer be viewable within the Photos app.

  Important: 

  • When you try to delete the OneDrive media files, they are sent to your Window’s recycle bin from the folder they came from on your Windows device. Deleted files are also sent to your OneDrive's recycle bin from your OneDrive account.

  • Deleting the files from your iCloud Photos synced folder will also delete the files in iCloud.

To learn more about OneDrive delete policies, see Restore deleted files or folders in OneDrive.

If you accidentally delete an iCloud file and want to recover it, you may be able to do so for a limited period of time based on iCloud’s policies. See Delete and recover photos and videos on iCloud from Apple for more information.

If you want to share a photo or video with others, select the desired photo(s), then right click and select Share. You can choose to share via email, social media, or other apps installed on your computer.