Microsoft’s inbox Windows Photos app just gained the ability to do some nifty image background editing that includes removing or replacing entire sections of an image, the only catch is, you have to be an Insider to test it now.
Over the weekend, Twitter user @PhantomOcean3 id Windows 11 Photos new background editing feature and linked its appearance with Windows 11 Insider built 2023.1110.8992.0.
While Ocean3 mentions that it should be rolling out to all Insider channels, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Microsoft is A/B testing the feature amongst Insiders and could ultimately scrap it before it reaches general availability.
As for the feature itself, Windows Insiders on build 2023.1110.8992.0 can identify the upgrade with a new icon that hangs from the right-side of the menu with a silhouetted person in front of a hashed background.
Once selected, users are given three options that include removing, replacing or blurring the background. While I haven’t been able to personally confirm the feature, I suspect that this is intended for photos with well delineated people or pets in the foreground, i.e., this may not work for objects or groups of people in various depths of the image.
There is another subtle addition to the Photos app included in the latest Windows Insider build that tweak the settings of the viewing experience of the app. Users will now be greeted with their Zooming and full-screen options at the bottom of the UI windows instead nestled in the top menu and rather than being centered justified, the image strip is now left adjusted.
Lastly, for the handful of families that still use Windows as the hub of their Photos experience, there is finally a more convenient way to start a slide show with a simple right click in the Folder List view, before even getting to the Photos app.
Again, it’s possible these new features make it into the next Windows 11 Moments update sometime in early 2024, but to test them today, update to the latest Windows 11 Insider build.