Microsoft Photos app update cuts editor RAM by nearly 50% and speeds up launches

Microsoft is revamping the Photos app in Windows 11 with an entirely new architecture focused on speed and modern image types. It’s a significant update because the native app suffered from performance issues in the past, and this new update is supposed to address all those problems to provide a much faster experience for users. The new Photos app replaces the old UI with a web-based gallery that loads much faster and supports a whole lot of new file types.

New WebView2-based gallery draws mixed reactions from Windows 11 users

First of all, the new Photos update introduces a new editor and viewer that’s been completely rewritten from scratch using WebView2 architecture. The new architecture makes it possible to harness modern web technologies to render images. Microsoft claims that the new editor that they've built is 25% faster than before.

Furthermore, they say that standard photos now load 15% faster on average in the new viewer. The idea here is to fix the sluggishness many users were experiencing with the old WinUI 3 based app.

Aside from speeding up the app, the memory consumption and support for certain file types is also better. Microsoft claims that the new editor uses almost 50% less RAM compared to before. They also support high-dynamic range (HDR) images, HEIC images, and WebP graphics more efficiently now.

For example, they can now load HEIC images 30% faster than before. The app now also supports editing of HDR, HEIC, WebP, and SVG images. Microsoft says that their new AI object remover feature also provides better quality results at a faster speed.

The general response to the new web-based gallery approach is a mixed bag. The new editor is being praised for its speed, but many users on Reddit and X say that the gallery itself is slower and not as easy to use compared to the native app. In a public post, Microsoft engineer Rudy Huyn pointed out how you can now enjoy an edge-to-edge experience when viewing photos.

Now you can zoom into a photo and it will expand to fill the whole window. The update is now being rolled out to Windows Insider users. Microsoft plans to rollout the update to all Windows 11 users by the end of 2026.