Microsoft Forced-Installs OneDrive Photos App on Some Windows 11 PCs

Microsoft's EVP of Apps and Agents, Jeff Teper, explained on X that the OneDrive Photos app was an incubation project that rolled out more widely than intended. The new photo viewing experience is part of OneDrive and was not supposed to be forcibly installed on Windows 11 PCs.

The app is a web app that is heavy on RAM usage and has been criticized for being unresponsive. It's unclear why Microsoft felt the need to build a dedicated OneDrive Photos app, especially since Windows comes pre-installed with an already capable photo viewer that handles photos stored in OneDrive well.

Teper acknowledged that the rollout was an error and stated that Windows Photos will always give users the option of local and cloud photos, as well as the choice to use OneDrive or not. Microsoft is still planning to deliver this new experience soon, despite the backlash from users who don't want it installed on their PCs.

This incident is not the first time Microsoft has been criticized for automatically installing apps on Windows 11. The company has been accused of forcing unwanted installations, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, onto users' PCs.