Features of the Photos app in Windows 11: Photos are not a new application on the Windows system, as Microsoft created it to replace the old photo browser Windows Photo Viewer since Windows 8. However, with the launch of the latest version, Windows 11, the application has undergone a comprehensive redesign and many improvements that make it more than just a regular photo viewer. It is organized as a library of photos and videos. Still, it is enough for the user to do without downloading external tools and programs to accomplish simple tasks such as converting image formats, cutting video clips, etc. Below we highlight these features and things that the improved Photos app in Windows 11 does to know and make the most of them.
1. Image Comparison (Multi-View Mode)
If you want to compare two photos side by side to find differences in quality or something else, you can take advantage of the new Multi-View mode in the Photos app. All you need to do is make sure the photos you want to compare are in one folder, double-click the first photo to view it in the Photos app, then place the cursor at the bottom of the screen or press F (B) on your keyboard. A bar will appear at the bottom, showing thumbnails of other images in the same folder. Here, put a checkmark (✔️) on the photo you wish to compare with the current picture open in the app, and instantly, your images will be displayed side by side for comparison within one screen.
2. Convert image formats
As mentioned, the Photos application is more than just an image browser. Still, it has many capabilities that sometimes eliminate the need to install external programs, such as adjusting image dimensions, cropping parts of images, adjusting brightness and contrast levels in images… and others. In addition, the application has recently added the ability to convert the image format, which can be relied upon to create a new copy of your image in a different form without affecting the quality.
All you have to do is double-click the image to view it in the Photos app, then press the menu button ( ⋯ ) at the top and select “Save.” After that, another window will appear where you specify where to save the new copy of the image. When you click on the t “e “Save as t “pe” menu, you can choose the desired format from the eight available formats: jpg, jpeg, jpg, jxr, png, tif, tiff, and BMP. Then, after choosing the form, press Save, and within a few moments, you will get the new version of the image with the exact resolution, with a different design for the one you chose.
3. Convert video formats
The Photos application in Windows 11 can play and save video clips in a format different from the original one. Still, the problem is that the number of formats allowed to convert to or from them is small compared to external programs, but it is worth a try. All you have to do is right-click on the video, select “Open with,” and select the Photos app from the drop-down menu to play the video content within the app.
As is the case with converting images through the application, after playing the video, press the menu button ( ⋯ ) at the top and choose “Save as,” then the usual Browse window will appear where you specify the location to save the video in the new format on your device, and after selecting the site click on the Save as menu type and choose the design you want to convert the video too. Select WMV, MP4, or any form listed if the video is in AVI format. Then press Save.
The Photos app takes about a minute or less to convert the video format. Still, once it’s finished, you’ll get a new (separate) copy of the original video in the format you selected previously. You can easily play the video on other devices that support this format.
4. Access your iCloud Photos library
Suppose you are using an iPhone and have a computer running the latest version of Windows 11. In that case, you can access the iCloud Photo Library through the Photos application directly, with the ability to download and transfer photos from the iPhone to the computer by pressing a button. All you have to do first is make sure you download the latest version of the Photos app available on the Microsoft Store. If so, launch the app, go to the “iCloud Photos” section from the left side menu, and click the “Get iCloud for Windows” button. Download the official iCloud app from Apple, launch it, and enter your Apple ID to start syncing.
After you’ve set up the iCloud app and allowed the photos to sync, go back to the Photos app again and head to the “iCloud Photos” section. This time, all the images stored in the iCloud library on your iPhone will appear in front of you. Previously, the only way to do this was through icloud.com on a browser. Accessing the library from the Photos app certainly makes browsing and saving photos to your computer, perhaps even editing them in Photoshop, a more accessible and straightforward process.
5. Adjust image dimensions and quality
Sometimes sharing images with large dimensions, let’s assume 4K, is very difficult because of the large file size, or you often want to share an image on a specific site. Still, this site has certain conditions regarding the dimensions of the pictures that are uploaded to it. Here comes the role of the resizing feature in the Photos app, which allows you to change the dimensions of any photo while also controlling its quality.
All you have to do is double-click the image to view it in the Photos app, then press the menu button (⋯) at the top and select “Resize.” After that, another window appears where you can specify the width and height about or in pixels, you can also select the image format, and from the Quality indicator, you can set the final image quality. Note at the bottom of this window that the image size is displayed after any adjustment, so keep an eye on the size indicator to get the image to the desired size before saving. Finally, click Save to save another copy of the image (while keeping the original) on your computer.
6. Make edits to the video
The Photos app already has a lot of photo editing tools; However, it is not as efficient as specialized photo editing software; it does the job and allows for simple basic edits. But it’s not just about photos. Many improvements can be made to videos through the Photos app or Microsoft Photos Legacy. After viewing the video within the application, right-click on it, and from the Edit mode drop-down list, you can add a slow-motion effect, 3D elements, or animated text to the video. Moreover, if you press the Edit button from the top bar, a tool will appear that allows you to trim a part of the video.
7. Extract snapshots from the video
Sometimes, while watching a video on your computer, you would like to save an image from a specific scene in that video. The traditional way to do this is to pause on the scene and then use the screenshot tool to take the image and save it to your device, but this method is not practical. Alternatively, you can use the Photos application, which contains a feature designed for this purpose. Just open the video within the app and stop at the frame you want to extract. After that, press the menu button ( ⋯ ) from the bar below, then choose to Save a frame to ask you to specify the location to save the image.
That’s all about our explanation here, my friend. Do not forget to include a comment and share the article with friends if it is helpful to you.
