Microsoft Admits OneDrive Photos Rollout Was a Mistake

Microsoft has confirmed that the OneDrive Photos rollout on Windows 11 reached more PCs than intended, including managed enterprise devices.

The application started appearing on enterprise PCs without a prior announcement, raising questions about why Microsoft was pushing another photo experience alongside the existing Windows Photos app.

OneDrive Photos rollout went too far

OneDrive Photos appears to form part of the existing OneDrive installation, and Microsoft seems to have been developing the experience for several months.

On some affected Windows 11 PCs, users can still find it through Windows Search under the name “Photos (Preview).”

Microsoft EVP of Apps and Agents Jeff Teper has now confirmed that OneDrive Photos remains an incubation project. According to Teper, the experimental experience “went more broadly than it should have,” and Microsoft is working to correct the rollout.

Microsoft also says the existing Windows Photos app will continue letting users choose between local and cloud-based photos, including whether they want to use OneDrive.

Microsoft still plans to launch OneDrive Photos

The company does not plan to abandon OneDrive Photos because of the rollout mistake.

Microsoft says it wants users to eventually access OneDrive photo features across desktop, web, and mobile. However, the company has not announced when the proper rollout will begin.

It also plans to add an option to uninstall OneDrive Photos in the near future as it responds to concerns from Windows users.

Windows 11 already has a Photos app

The new experience also raises the question of whether Windows 11 needs another photo application when Microsoft Photos already handles local and cloud images.

OneDrive Photos relies on a web-based experience, which could also raise performance concerns. Windows users have already reported similar problems with other web-powered Microsoft apps. For example, the Weather app has reportedly used more than 1GB of RAM in the background.

Microsoft has not provided a new release date for OneDrive Photos, but Teper’s comments confirm that development will continue while the company fixes the unintended rollout.

Via Windows Central