Microsoft is criticised for quietly pushing a new beta OneDrive Photos app through background updates, causing privacy concerns and confusion in enterprise settings, with users unable to uninstall it separately from OneDrive.
Microsoft is drawing criticism from Windows 11 users and system administrators after quietly pushing a new OneDrive Photos app to PCs through background updates rather than offering it as an optional download. Android Headlines reported that the app began appearing on devices through routine OneDrive desktop updates, with many users finding it in the Start menu without warning.
The software is currently marked as a beta and is designed to pull together local images and files stored in OneDrive into a single gallery view. According to reporting from Windows Latest and Android Headlines, it also adds “Memories” prompts and a “People” tab that uses facial recognition to group photos. The app sits alongside the main OneDrive sync client and is linked to that installer, which has left many users unable to remove it on its own.
The backlash has been sharper in enterprise environments. Windows Latest said the app briefly appeared on devices managed through Microsoft Intune, even though OneDrive Photos is intended for personal Microsoft accounts. That created confusion for IT teams, especially because the software was showing up on corporate machines where it had not been requested. Microsoft has since indicated that the enterprise rollout was accidental and is working to correct it.
Privacy concerns have centred on the facial recognition feature, but Microsoft says the function is off by default and requires opt-in. The company also says scanning only applies to images stored in cloud-synced OneDrive folders, that it does not use the photo data to train its public AI models and that biometric records are deleted within 30 days if the feature is switched off. Even so, users remain frustrated because removing OneDrive Photos currently means removing OneDrive itself, although Microsoft says a future update should allow the app to be uninstalled separately.
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