In short
Microsoft is rolling out a brand new OneDrive Photographs app to some Home windows 11 PCs.
The app indexes native picture libraries and provides AI-powered search and non-obligatory facial grouping.
The rollout follows Microsoft’s broader push to combine AI options into Home windows.
Some Home windows 11 customers are discovering a brand new Microsoft app they by no means put in. Known as OneDrive Photographs, it routinely indexes native photos and presents AI-powered search and non-obligatory facial grouping.
The rollout, first noticed by business publication Home windows Newest, comes by way of Home windows Replace or updates to the prevailing OneDrive consumer somewhat than as a separate obtain.

In keeping with Home windows Newest, OneDrive Photographs can detect and show photos saved domestically on a PC even when the person just isn’t signed right into a Microsoft account. After signing in, the app permits AI-powered search that may find photographs utilizing natural-language queries and optical character recognition.
The app additionally consists of an non-obligatory Individuals function that teams related faces, that are seen solely to the person, aren’t shared with third events, and might be deleted by disabling the function. Nonetheless, Home windows Newest famous that the function requires customers to choose in as a result of facial knowledge could also be thought of biometric info in some jurisdictions.
The information comes two years after Microsoft was compelled to overtake its AI-powered Recall function following a privateness backlash that prompted the corporate to make the screenshotting software choose in by default.
Extra just lately, in Might, Google started downloading its roughly 4GB Gemini Nano AI mannequin to eligible Chrome installations by browser updates to energy on-device AI options, including to considerations about AI capabilities arriving by routine software program updates.
In keeping with Home windows Newest, OneDrive Photographs is tied to the prevailing OneDrive consumer and can’t at present be eliminated by itself. Customers who wish to uninstall the app should take away OneDrive solely from Home windows.
Microsoft didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark by Decrypt.
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