With Windows 10, Microsoft replaced the good-old Windows Photo Viewer with a newer Photos app. Unfortunately, users, including me, aren’t too happy with this app. It's complicated and takes a lot of time to load images.
If you also don’t like the Photos app (I feel you! *virtual hug*) and are looking for its alternatives, you have come to the right place.
In this post, we have listed 5 best replacements for your Windows 10 Photos app. By the way, if you want to get back the old Windows Photo Viewer, check this.
Microsoft Photos. View and edit your photos and videos, make movies, and create albums. Try video remix to instantly create a video from photos and videos you select. Use the video editor for fine-tuned adjustments — change filters, text, camera motion, music, and more. See all your photos The Photos app in Windows 10 gathers photos from your PC, phone, and other devices, and puts them in one place where you can more easily find what you’re looking for. To get started, in the search box on the taskbar, type photos and then select the Photos app from the results. Or, press Open the Photos app in Windows. “Google Photos is your new essential picture app” – Wired The official Google Photos app is made for the way you take photos today and includes essential features like shared albums, automatic. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about FreePrints – Print Photos. Download FreePrints – Print Photos and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Print photos quickly, easily and for FREE with the world’s #1 photo printing app!
Also Read:App To See Pictures Side By Side
19 Best Windows 10 Tips and TricksPhoto browsing or viewing should be an effortless task. This is what all these Windows 10 tools offer you. The tools mentioned below are fast, simple and powerful.
Let’s get started.
Google Photos is the home for all your photos and videos, automatically organized and easy to share. The official Google Photos app is made for the way you take photos today and includes essential features like shared albums, automatic creations and an advanced editing suite. Additionally every Google Account comes with 15 GB of free storage.
1. FastStone Image Viewer
If you have been a Picasa user, FastStone Image Viewer will feel familiar. It supports a huge number of image formats such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, RAW, and PSD etc. The user interface is similar to that of Windows Explorer. Unlike Windows Photos, this tool is very fast.
When you open the application, it lists all the folders and images. You can check the preview without opening the images. When you open an image, it opens in full view.
However, interestingly, the tool has all the options and features present on the four sides of an image. All you need to do is move your mouse towards each side and you will unearth a bunch of photo-editing and viewing features.
You get all the photo-editing features such as crop, rotate, blur, color effects, and even adding annotations. It's a freeware fast image-viewer tool that has a built-in image editor and converter as well.
Download FastStone Image Viewer2. IrfanView
One of the oldest photo viewers for Windows is IrfanView. It's a quick and simple photo-editor tool. People who use it once, use it for years. The reason being its simplicity and usefulness.
When you download this tool, you'll find two shortcuts - IrfanView and IrfanView Thumbnails. If you want to see all your images and thumbnails, use the second shortcut.
The images will open in the real tool only. IrfanView also supports other features such as batch editing, slideshows, and change EXIF data etc.
Download IrfanView3. XnView
XnView is another great alternative for Windows Photos. Design-wise, the tool is similar to FastStone Image Viewer. However, it’s not as feature-rich as FastStone.
It supports tab browsing, which means you can view multiple images simultaneously. With support for more than 500 image formats, it also features basic editing tools such as rotation, resize, crop etc.
In addition to that, the tool also supports multiple layouts. You can choose the layout as per your preference.
Download XnView
4. Nomacs
Nomacs can be called as the open-source hidden gem. When you launch the tool for the first time, you'll feel the tool is kinda meh! But, once you start to play with its settings and features, you will discover all the good things about it.
Unlike other tools, Nomacs doesn’t support folder view by default. You have to enable the folder view and thumbnails from the Settings. Thankfully, like other software, this one also supports basic photo-editing tools such as crop, rotate, flip, and change exposure etc.
Download Nomacs5. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
Apowersoft is slightly different from the rest of the Photos app alternatives. It’s as if Windows Photos had a baby with MS Paint. It doesn’t support folder view but, once you open an image, it shows the thumbnails of all other images present in the same folder.
App To See Pictures In Windows 10
Interestingly, the Apowersoft has a nice photo editor, which opens in a separate window. The UI is similar to MS Paint, but it has more features such as pixelate, sharpen, pixelate, and other effects.
Download Apowersoft Photo ViewerHow to Set a Default Photo Viewer in Windows 10
To change or to set a new default photo viewer on Windows 10, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your PC from the Start menu. Click on Apps.
Step 2: Then, click on the Default apps option present in the left sidebar.
Step 3: Click Photo Viewer under the Default apps and choose your favorite photo viewer from the menu.
That’s it!
If you want to use any of the above-mentioned tools for only one particular file type, you can do that as well. Navigate to the image in Windows Explorer and right-click it.
Click Open with and select Choose Another app. Now, choose your tool and check the Always use this app to open .abc files option.
To know how to uninstall any software, including the Photo viewers that you just downloaded, click here.
Also Read:How to Turn Off Windows 10 UpdatesSwitch ASAP!
You will thank us once you start using any of the above-mentioned tools instead of the Windows Photos app. These tools feel so fast when compared to the boring Windows Photos app! If you want to improve the boot time of your Windows PC, don't forget to check this out.
Do let us know your favorite photo-viewer tool in comments below.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
Read Next
6 Best Fixes for Windows 10 Photos App Not Importing From iPhone
Are you unable to import