See all your photos

Help the app find more photos

The Photos app automatically displays the photos and videos in the Pictures folder on your PC and OneDrive. Here’s how to add more source folders to the Pictures folder.

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos  app from the results. 

2. Go to Folders   in the left navigation bar.

3. Select Add a folder .

4. Find the folder on your PC that you'd like the Photos app to include, and choose Select Folder to add it to the app. 
   
   The Photos app will show updated content from the new folders as you add and remove content.  

Copying content

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 content

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. 

Removing content

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.  

Deleting content

If you delete photos or videos stored in local folders from the Photos app, they are moved to your machine’s recycle bin  to be permanently deleted from your Windows device. See the OneDrive section below for information on deleting content synced from your OneDrive or iCloud cloud storage services. 

Duplicate content

The Photos app can detect duplicates of photos in your collection. A file is determined to be a duplicate if it has the same file name and file size as other photos in your collection. A file can be considered a duplicate even if it's stored in a different location. 

Import photos and videos 

You can import photos and videos you have stored on a camera’s SD card, a USB drive, a phone, or on another device. 

1. Use a USB cable to connect your device to the PC.

2. In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos  app from the results. 

3. Select Import from the App bar.

4. Your devices will automatically show under Connected devices. Choose your device from the list of connected devices.

5. Select the photos and videos you would like to import.

6. Choose the location of the destination folder for import.

7. Decide if you want to permanently delete the photos and videos from your importing device by checking or unchecking the Delete items after import button.

   Warning: Checking the Delete items after import button permanently removes the photos or videos from your importing device. 

8. Select Confirm to move the photos and videos. 

   Note: If you're using an Android phone and Import isn't working, you might need to change your phone's USB setting to allow it to transfer photos. 

Connect to OneDrive 

The Photos app can connect to your OneDrive account so you can see all your photos and videos in one place. You can view these on the OneDrive tab in the Photos app once you’ve connected to your OneDrive account.

The OneDrive tab in the Photos app only displays photos and videos that are stored in the Pictures folder on OneDrive.  

When you view a photo or video in your OneDrive cloud collection, it automatically downloads to your Windows machine. Once downloaded, any changes you make to that photo or video file—move, edit, delete—will sync back to your OneDrive. 

In the Photos app’s OneDrive tab, you'll see your personal albums and features such as OneDrive memories. OneDrive memories are automatically generated by OneDrive, not the Photos app. You can view memories and albums by selecting them in the Photos app, which takes you to their location on your OneDrive synced on the web. 

To connect to OneDrive in the Photos app: 

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos  app from the results. 

2. Go to the OneDrive  tab in the left navigation bar.

3. Select the Sign in button to sign in to your OneDrive account. Provide the app permissions to access your info.
   
   You can control whether OneDrive is connected to the Photos app under the Photos app’s settings. 

Moving or copying content

Changes made to your OneDrive content are made to both the content stored on your Windows device and to the content on OneDrive. Changes made to OneDrive content on Windows are also synced to OneDrive. 

Deleting content

Deleting OneDrive photos, videos, or folders from the Photos app results in the following:

• Deleted files 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.

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

Upload mobile photos and videos 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. On your Windows PC, open the Photos  app and sign in to your OneDrive  account by selecting the OneDrive tab tab in the left navigation bar. 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.

Connect to iCloud 

Connect your Windows Photos app and iCloud Photos with the iCloud for Windows app.

To connect to iCloud: 

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos  app from the results. 

2. Go to the iCloud Photos tab.

3. Select the Get iCloud for Windows button. You will be prompted to go to the Microsoft Store and download the iCloud for Windows app.

4. 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.

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

   You can control whether iCloud is connected to the Photos app under the Photos app’s settings.  

Deleting or moving content

With the introduction of iCloud for Windows 14.2, the following file deletion and movement behaviors are true:

• When a photo or video is deleted from your iCloud Photos synced folder in in the Windows Photos app, that action will also occur in iCloud.

• If you move content out of the synced iCloud Photos tab in the Windows Photos app, the content will also be removed from its original iCloud location.

• Deletes and moves in the Photos app from the Shared folder under iCloud Photos will not be deleted from iCloud.

• If you are using a previous version of the iCloud for Windows app, changes made to iCloud content synced in the Photos app will remain only on your Windows PC and will not sync to iCloud.

• 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.

Hidden files

If you have hidden photos or videos in iCloud, they will also be hidden in the Windows Photos app. In order to see them in Windows Photos, the files must first be unhidden in iCloud. 

For more information on Apple’s iCloud for Windows app which connects to the Windows Photos app, see: Set up Photos in iCloud for Windows. 

Apple and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc.