MS Photos Face Recognition

Dennis Rapp 0 Reputation points
2026-08-16T23:57:37.45+00:00

I’m having trouble setting up facial recognition in Microsoft Photos. I don’t see the People tab needed to enable it, so I’m wondering whether I have the correct version of the Photos app. I’m using Windows 11 with the preinstalled Photos app, not Photos Legacy. Can you help me set up facial recognition?

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video
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  1. SD - IA 177.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-17T02:47:42.5066667+00:00

    Hi,

    The Photos app does not yet have the People capabilities that were in Outlook.

    If you have OneDrive Photos / Photos Preview:

    User's image

    It does have capabilities of Microsoft Photos People feature, which will be rolled out in the future.

    I hope this information helps. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-16T23:57:50.0933333+00:00

    Facial recognition grouping in Microsoft Photos is not available in the new Photos app on Windows 11. That is why the People tab is missing in the preinstalled app.

    To confirm which version is installed:

    1. Open Photos.
    2. Select Settings.
    3. Under About, select About Photos.
    4. If it says Updated in the About section, it is the new Photos app.
    5. If it does not say Updated, it is Photos Legacy.

    To use face grouping, switch to Photos Legacy:

    1. Open Photos.
    2. Select Settings.
    3. Under the About section, select Get Photos Legacy.

    If Photos Legacy is already available:

    1. Type photos in the taskbar search box.
    2. Select Photos Legacy from the results.
    3. Open the People tab.
    4. Select See more > Settings.
    5. Under Viewing and editing, turn People from Off to On.

    Important behavior:

    • Turning off the People setting removes existing facial grouping data, but does not remove photos or videos from the device.
    • If the setting is turned on again later, the collection is scanned again and facial grouping data is regenerated.
    • Face grouping is available in the legacy app on Windows 10 and on some Windows 11 systems running Photos Legacy.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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