Microsoft Photos review

Microsoft Photos is the editor most Windows users already have. Microsoft's Windows learning center confirms that Photos and Paint are included with Windows 11 and ready for photo editing, and its support page walks through the tools: crop, flip and rotate with preset ratios, light and color sliders, fifteen filters plus the original, and markup with two pens and a highlighter. You press Ctrl + E on a photo to start, and Reset undoes every change. On Copilot+ PCs, Photos adds Restyle Image and Super Resolution, and any PC can send a picture to Microsoft Designer for AI edits. It is a viewer first and a light editor second: there are no layers or RAW development tools documented, so anything beyond quick fixes belongs in Affinity, Paint.NET or Lightroom. For most people answering the question of what app to use for a few holiday snaps, it is enough. We compared documented features.

Who it is for

people who want quick fixes without installing anything

Price

Included with Windows 11 at no extra cost.

Yes. Photos and Paint are included with Windows 11 and ready to use for photo and image editing.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Crop, flip and rotate with preset aspect ratios
• Light and color adjustment sliders
• Fifteen one-click filters
• Markup with two pens and a highlighter
• Restyle Image and Super Resolution on Copilot+ PCs

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Already installed on Windows 11
• Strength: Open the editor with Ctrl + E from any photo
• Strength: Can send an image to Microsoft Designer for AI editing
• Weakness: No layers or RAW development tools documented
• Weakness: Some AI tools are limited to Copilot+ PCs
• Weakness: AI features need a Microsoft account sign-in

Key facts

• Price: Included with Windows 11
• Filters: 15 plus Original
• Shortcut: Ctrl + E opens Edit image
• Copilot+ PC extras: Restyle Image, Super Resolution

Where it ranks

Microsoft Photos is No. 3 in our Best Photo Editing Apps for Windows verdict.