Windows 11’s File Explorer will gain the option to view a phone’s camera roll. The news is being introduced in Windows 11 Build 23471 for Insiders. At the moment, Microsoft has yet to reveal the mechanism behind this new feature, but it is believed to involve syncing with OneDrive.

Windows 11’s File Explorer gets a button to access your phone’s camera roll

Windows 11 File Explorer will allow you to view photos from your phone's camera roll right on your PC screen. Source: Oficina da Net
Windows 11 File Explorer will allow you to view photos from your phone’s camera roll right on your PC screen. Source: Oficina da Net

The new button located in the Windows 11 File Explorer command bar will allow the user to view the camera roll of their cell phone. As per Microsoft’s Amanda Langowski and Brandon LeBlanc explain about the functionality saying:

There is a new button on the command bar titled ‘Add Photos from Phone’ that will help configure your PC to be ready to show these photos in the Gallery.

Clicking this button today will open a URL with a QR code that you can scan with your phone to get started.

Button to view photos from the camera roll (gallery) of the cell phone in the File Explorer (File Explorer) of Windows 11. Source: Microsoft
Button to view photos from the camera roll (gallery) of the cell phone in the File Explorer (File Explorer) of Windows 11. Source: Microsoft

Release and availability

The Windows 11 File Explorer one-button view mobile photo gallery view feature is currently available to all Insiders through the Dev channel, which released build 23435 of the operating system. This is a long-awaited feature, as much as the option to mirror the cell phone screen on the PC. The functionality to view phone photos on PC will be gradually implemented for all users and it will take a few months for it to be available in the stable version of Windows 11.