Microsoft Sneaks Face-Scanning App Into Windows 11 Update ☕

Microsoft has begun rolling out a new OneDrive Photos application to Windows 11 machines via Windows Update and updates to the existing OneDrive client, first reported by industry publication Windows Latest. The application automatically indexes local images and, once a user signs into a Microsoft account, enables AI-powered search using natural-language queries and optical character recognition. OneDrive Photos can detect and display images stored locally on a PC even if the user is not signed into a Microsoft account, according to Windows Latest.

The app also includes an optional People feature that groups similar faces. Microsoft states the groupings are visible only to the user, are not shared with third parties, and can be deleted by disabling the feature. Windows Latest noted that the People feature requires users to opt in because facial data may be considered biometric information in some jurisdictions. The rollout comes two years after Microsoft overhauled its AI-powered Recall feature following a privacy backlash that prompted the company to make the screenshotting tool opt in by default.

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. In May, Google began downloading its roughly 4GB Gemini Nano AI model to eligible Chrome installations through browser updates to power on-device AI features, a separate example of AI capabilities arriving through routine software updates. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.