If your Photos app on Windows 11 is a chaotic mix of vacation pics, important screenshots, and that receipt you know you need to expense, we’ve got good news. Microsoft has started rolling out an update to the Microsoft Photos app, and it’s landing right now for Windows 11 Insiders across all channels.
A new Auto-Categorization tool that uses on-device AI to bring order to the chaos, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for on Microsoft Photos.
What is Auto-Categorization?
This new AI feature automatically scans your entire photo collection and intelligently sorts your images into meaningful, useful categories. Some of the categories include Screenshots, Receipts, Identity Documents (like passports and driver’s licenses), and Notes.
The goal is simple but powerful: to save you time, drastically reduce digital clutter, and finally make your photo library a place you can navigate with ease. Here’s the breakdown:
Smart, Visual Sorting: The AI model analyzes the visual content of your photos to group them. Besides taking the file name into account, it can also distinguish a handwritten note from a printed document or a store receipt, placing each into its own predefined folder for you.
It’s Language-Agnostic: The AI identifies the type of document, not the language it’s written in. For example, a Japanese passport will be correctly categorized under “Passport,” and a German receipt will still be tagged as a “Receipt.” Of course, something like this will make it easier for us to find photos based on their categories.
How to Use Your Newly Organized Library
Once the update is live, putting this new organization to work is straightforward.
Find Anything Instantly: Use the left-hand navigation pane or the search bar to jump directly to your categorized images. Need that warranty receipt from last year? Just click on the “Receipts” category instead of endlessly scrolling.
You’re in Control: The AI is smart, but it might not be perfect from day one. You can manually change an image’s category if it’s misplaced. Even better, you can provide feedback on the categorization, which helps improve the AI’s accuracy over time.
This update truly feels like a step toward a more intelligent and manageable digital life. If you’re a Windows Insider, be sure to check for the update and give your photo library a much-needed spring cleaning
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