Microsoft Quietly Adds New Windows App That Wants to Scan Your Face

Microsoft is rolling out a new OneDrive Photos app to some Windows 11 PCs that automatically indexes local images and adds AI-powered search and optional facial grouping, according to industry publication Windows Latest. The app, which arrives via Windows Update or updates to the existing OneDrive client, includes an optional People feature that groups similar faces but requires opt-in due to potential biometric data concerns. The rollout follows Microsoft's broader push to integrate AI features into Windows and comes two years after the company overhauled its AI-powered Recall feature following a privacy backlash.

In brief - Microsoft is rolling out a new OneDrive Photos app to some Windows 11 PCs. - The app indexes local photo libraries and adds AI-powered search and optional facial grouping. - The rollout follows Microsoft's broader push to integrate AI features into Windows. Some Windows 11 users are discovering a new Microsoft app they never installed. Called OneDrive Photos, it automatically indexes local images and offers AI-powered search and optional facial grouping. The rollout, first spotted by industry publication Windows Latest , comes via Windows Update or updates to the existing OneDrive client rather than as a separate download. According to Windows Latest , OneDrive Photos can detect and display images stored locally on a PC even if the user is not signed into a Microsoft account. After signing in, the app enables AI-powered search that can locate photos using natural-language queries and optical character recognition. The app also includes an optional People feature that groups similar faces, which are visible only to the user, aren't shared with third parties, and can be deleted by disabling the feature. However, Windows Latest noted that the feature requires users to opt in because facial data may be considered biometric information in some jurisdictions. The news comes two years after Microsoft was forced to overhaul https://decrypt.co/234402/microsoft-limits-windows-ai-recall-feature-privacy-backlash its AI-powered Recall feature following a privacy backlash https://decrypt.co/231649/microsoft-recall-is-spyware-a-privacy-nightmare-security-experts that prompted the company to make the screenshotting tool opt in by default. More recently, in May, Google began downloading https://decrypt.co/367060/chrome-quietly-installing-4gb-ai-model-computer its roughly 4GB Gemini Nano AI model to eligible Chrome installations through browser updates to power on-device AI features, adding to concerns about AI capabilities arriving through routine software updates. According to Windows Latest , OneDrive Photos is tied to the existing OneDrive client and cannot currently be removed on its own. Users who want to uninstall the app must remove OneDrive entirely from Windows. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.