Did a OneDrive Photos app just appear on your PC? Here's what it does (and how to get rid of it)

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Earlier this week, I noticed a new app called OneDrive Photos pop up in the Start menu on my Windows 11 PC. Being the curious type, I opened the app to snoop around and see what it could do. As its name indicates, it lets you view and even edit any photos you've stored in OneDrive, either on your PC or in the cloud.

But why did Microsoft push it out so quietly, and are there any downsides to using it?

First, let's address at least one question.

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"OneDrive Photos is already generally available today, and we're now previewing its new gallery as 'Photos (Preview)' for Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel," Microsoft said in a statement shared with PC World . "This update arrived through a OneDrive update rather than a separate install."

OK, that explains how it rolled out, but it raises another question. Microsoft says that the app is a preview for Windows Insiders in the Experimental channel. But I received it on my regular production Windows 11 PC, not on an insider build. And from what I've read, many other people did as well.

With that mystery afoot, let's check out the app to see just what it does. If you're running Windows 11, just click the Start button, and you should see OneDrive Photos listed under recent or recommended apps or in the Apps list. Fire up the app, and you'll find several categories listed on the left -- Moments, Gallery, People, Albums, Favorites, and This PC.

The default view of Gallery displays all the photos, screenshots, and other images you're storing in OneDrive, starting from the latest to the earliest. Hover over the icons on an individual photo, and you can get information on it, delete it, share it, or add it as a favorite.

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Click an image to open it full screen, where you'll find additional commands. Most notably, you can edit a photo by cropping it, adjusting its brightness and other attributes, and applying various filters. You can also open a photo with a different app, such as Paint or Microsoft Photos.

The Moments category shows you photos from current dates, but going back several years. Click a photo to view them one after the other.

The People category is one that may stir up some controversy. Here, Microsoft displays the faces of people who appear in your OneDrive photos library. The app invites you to select a specific person and enter their name. Whether you name someone or not, clicking a specific face reveals other photos of that person based on facial recognition. Could that be a privacy concern?