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To add a photo to Favorites in the Windows 11 Photos app, open or select the picture and activate the Favorites control, which is typically a heart. Activate the same control again to remove it. Favorites is a marker inside the app. Adding or removing one does not move, copy, or delete the image file.
The exact control depends on which Photos app is open, so check that first.
Check which Photos app you are using
Windows 11 can include two different photo apps. Microsoft documents the newer Photos app and Photos Legacy as separate experiences with different organization models, so instructions written for one may not match the other.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Select the Start button, type Photos, and open the app that appears.
- If the layout or menus do not match the steps below, search Start for Photos Legacy. If that app is installed, open it and compare.
- Note which app you are using. The steps in this article are written for the app whose interface shows a Favorites control on the photo itself.
How the two apps differ
| Area | New Photos app | Photos Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Organization model | Media is organized through folders | Media is organized through albums |
| Video Editor | Not stated in Microsoft’s support pages reviewed for this article | Retained, according to Microsoft’s “Changes in the new Photos app” page |
| Media sources | Local folders, plus OneDrive or iCloud after sign-in or setup, according to Microsoft’s “Manage photos and videos with Microsoft Photos app” page | Not stated in the same terms in the pages reviewed |
| Favorites control | Microsoft’s pages do not describe the control’s location or icon | Described as a heart toggle in an independent ElevenForum tutorial |
How to add a photo to Favorites
Microsoft’s support pages do not give a step-by-step Favorites procedure, so the steps below rely on independent tutorials. Verify them against your own build.
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- Open Photos from Start.
- Find the photo you want in your collection and open it or select it.
- Look for the heart control. An ElevenForum tutorial describing a legacy-style interface says to click the heart to add the photo to Favorites.
- Confirm the change. The control should show a filled or changed state.
How to remove a photo from Favorites
- Open the same photo, or select it in the collection.
- Activate the same Favorites control again.
- Confirm that the state has changed back.
The control is a toggle, so the same action works in both directions. Removing the marker does not delete the photo.
If you do not see a heart
Some independent coverage describes a star control in the Gallery view rather than a heart. A WindowsLoop guide describes it this way. Because that description is not from Microsoft and may not match every build, treat the star as one possible form of the control, not a universal one.
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- If neither a heart nor a star appears, you may be in the other Photos app. Switch between Photos and Photos Legacy as described above.
- Check that you have selected a photo, not a folder or album, before looking for the control.
- If the control still does not appear, Windows Update or an app update may have changed the interface. Check for updates in Microsoft Store and compare again.
Removing a folder is not the same as removing a favorite
In the newer Photos app, the word “remove” can refer to a source folder rather than a marker. Microsoft says that removing a folder from the app stops it appearing in Photos but leaves its contents on the Windows machine. Favorites does not work this way: unmarking a photo changes only the Favorites state.
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Deleting media is a separate action with different consequences. Deleting OneDrive media can send files to both the Windows and OneDrive recycle bins, and deleting files from the iCloud Photos synced folder also removes them from iCloud. Do not use delete as a way to clear a favorite.
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What is not established
The sources reviewed do not establish whether Favorites markers sync between Photos app versions, between cloud accounts, or between devices. Do not assume a marker you set on one PC appears on another. Keyboard shortcuts for Favorites are also not described in those sources.
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