Microsoft just announced an overhauled Photos app for Windows 11, but that's for viewing images and videos. If you're interested in capturing content, you'll want to catch up on everything new in the Camera app.
A wave of changes to the Camera app recently shipped to Windows Insiders. They include several small improvements as well as some quality-of-life changes.
The Camera app can now zoom digitally when hardware zoom is unavailable. Microsoft has focused on the zoom experience in several updates this year. In June, the company started testing expanded support for more cameras.
Microsoft lists all the changes that are available for Windows Insiders:
- Improved the camera zoom experience and added support for software zoom when hardware zoom is unavailable. Software zoom isn't available for Living Images, scanning, panorama, spherical preview, or other specialized modes.
- Improved support for copying to your clipboard with Ctrl+C after capture.
- Added a new Copy path action after capturing a photo or video, allowing you to easily copy the file path.
- Delayed capture now shows the remaining seconds inside the timer ring.
- Recorded video playback now shows the remaining time beside the seek bar.
- Camera is more responsive and accurate when starting video.
- Fixed an issue where a white flash would sometimes appear when opening the app with Windows in light theme.
While changes to software zoom are the headline additions, some users may appreciate the new Copy path option and improved clipboard support more. Both features make it easier to move captured images and videos into apps and documents.
Those improvements first entered testing for Insiders in the Experimental, Experimental (26H1), and Experimental (Future Platforms) channels on October 2. They have since shipped to Beta and Release Preview Insiders as well.
With the feature progressing through Windows Insider channels, it should make its way to general users in the near future.
The Camera app improvements arrive for Windows Insiders shortly after Microsoft announced a major redesign of the Photos app. Together, the updates show Microsoft's commitment to improving Windows 11's built-in apps.
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