- Microsoft brings iCloud integration to its Photos app for Windows 11.
- The iCloud integration is already available to everyone.
- You’ll need to install the iCloud client before you can use the service with Photos.
Microsoft brings iCloud Photos integration to the new Photos app for Windows 11, allowing iPhone and iPad users to manage all of their photos from a single experience.
As part of the October feature update, the company released an updated version of the Photos app with an entirely new interface that further matches the design language of Windows 11. For instance, this update brings mica material, rounded corners, and changes to simplify browsing, finding, managing, and consuming the photos you have in your collection. In addition, the app now allows Apple users to connect and access their pictures and videos from the iCloud service.
However, the integration isn’t as seamless as Microsoft makes it seem because you will first have to install and set up the (300MB download) iCloud client app on Windows 11 before your media gallery becomes available through the Photos app. If you already use iCloud on Windows 11, you need to update the client to the latest version.
Once you connect the Photos app to the iCloud service, you will be able to access your media from the dedicated “iCloud Photos” tab available from the left navigation pane. If you click the “All Photos” tab, your iCloud media will appear alongside your local and OneDrive media.
The integration is already available with the Photos app version 2022.31110.2008.0 or higher for devices running the latest version of Windows 11. The company says that the new feature should reach everyone by December. You can always check for updates by going to Microsoft Store > Library and clicking the Get updates button.
The partnership of Microsoft with Apple also goes a little further since the company said that the Apple Music and Apple TV apps will come to Windows 11 sometime in 2023, and previews of the apps will be available before the end of 2022.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].