Microsoft is preparing to make photo management easier for Windows 11 users with a new update to its Photos app. The company has begun testing an artificial intelligence (AI) feature that automatically sorts images into folders based on their visual content, helping users manage cluttered photo libraries.
New AI feature for Windows 11 Insiders
The upcoming update is currently available to Windows 11 Insiders using Copilot Plus PCs. The Photos app will be able to recognise and categorise images such as receipts, screenshots, identity documents, and handwritten notes without any manual input.
According to Microsoft, the system will identify images even if the text they contain is written in a language other than English. For example, a photograph of a Hungarian passport would still be sorted alongside other identity documents. This multilingual capability could be particularly useful for users who frequently travel or handle documents in different languages.
How the new system works
Once the Photos app processes and sorts images, the automatically generated folders appear under the Categories section on the left-hand navigation bar. This means that instead of scrolling through hundreds or thousands of pictures, users can go directly to the relevant folder to locate specific types of files.
For now, the AI can only detect and categorise four types of images: screenshots, receipts, identity documents, and notes. Although this is a limited selection, the feature provides a glimpse into how Microsoft plans to enhance its photo management tools.
Potential for future improvements
Although the current feature is restricted to a handful of categories, users may find it even more valuable if Microsoft allows them to customise their own sorting rules in future updates. The ability to create personalised categories, such as “pets”, “holidays”, or “family events”, would give users more control over how their images are organised.
The update is part of Microsoft’s broader effort to integrate AI technology into everyday software, streamlining tasks that would otherwise require time and effort. If the testing phase proves successful, the feature is expected to roll out more widely to all Windows 11 users on Copilot Plus PCs.
