Microsoft has partnered with Adobe to improve its Windows 11 Photos app. The program now features image editing tools that you’d find in the likes of Photoshop at no additional cost, but don’t expect to cancel your Creative Cloud subscription following this update.
Microsoft launched a revised Windows 11 Photos experience earlier this year, detailing the changes in an October blog post. The program now features a proper gallery view, more robust native image editing, and faster launch times with particular benefits for HEIC (High Efficiency Image Codec) images.
Today’s collaboration with Adobe builds upon those initial improvements. You can now expand a photo beyond its borders, rotate without cropping away part of the picture, and remove objects while blending the background more naturally. You can even select an area and add or make changes to it via text prompts, similar to the Generative Fill in Photoshop.
Beyond the extra tools, there is also a stronger integration with Adobe’s software, allowing you to open your image in Adobe Express directly from Photo Viewer on Windows 11. You can also preview your image in a personalised template before continuing your design in Express. While not an explicit upsell of Adobe software, it’s hard not to see this function as just that.
I have my concerns about Adobe integrating so seamlessly into Windows 11. This approach reminds me of when Microsoft integrated Acrobat into Edge, allowing users to read PDFs for free but any attempt to edit them prompted an offer to start a free trial. In other words, the Photos app will remain free, but some of its advanced editing tools may initiate prompts for subscriptions.
The old Photos app remains available, under the name ‘Photo Viewer’ if you’d prefer not to engage with the new Adobe-powered features. In my eyes, Photo Viewer is actually better now as it’s free from the clutter of Clipchamp and OneDrive buttons.
