Windows 11 photo editor gains background blurring tool

Microsoft started testing New features for background blurring and content search in Windows 11 Photos. The new feature comes as an update to the app for subscribers to the Windows Insiders Dev and Canary channels.

The background blur tool is very practical and similar to the Google Photos feature. In the editing interface, the user can select an element of the photo to highlight, leaving the rest of the shot less defined.

Once the main element is selected, the user can adjust the blur intensity and adjust details using the brush.

Search for content

Another feature of Windows Photos is the ability to search for content contained in captures. In this case, the function is only available for photos saved in OneDrive.

With source, the user can use the search bar to find photos related to cars, beach, birthdays, vacations, landscapes and other contexts — also similar to Google Photos functionality.

Location-based search support has also been included in local search. This feature allows the Windows application to control the capture metadata and show results from a specific address.

Other adjustments

In addition to these new features, the latest experimental version of Fotos also includes:

• Updated the upsampling algorithm for displaying zoomed photos;
• Added touchscreen support to slideshow;
• Video editing and creation options are most accessible at the top of the gallery view;
• The app now displays animated photos created by Google or Samsung devices as they should;
• Fixed an issue that required your computer to restart to start viewing photos in iCloud.

Phased distribution

The new features are available in version 2023.11090.13001.0 of the Photos app for Windows 11. The package is being rolled out to test users in phases. For now, there is no estimate regarding the exact rollout of the new features.