Windows 11 allows you to mark photos as Favorites so you can quickly find and view images you care about the most. This feature is especially useful if you have a large photo library and want instant access to selected pictures without searching through multiple folders.
Favorite photos are mainly managed through the Photos app, which organizes images from your local storage, OneDrive, and connected folders. When you mark a photo as a favorite, Windows creates a separate view that groups those images together, making them easy to access at any time.
It is important to understand that favorites are not stored as a physical folder on your drive. Instead, they are tracked within the Photos app itself, which means viewing favorites depends on using the correct app interface.
How to View Favorite Photos in Windows 11
Use the methods below in order to view and manage your favorite photos.
1. View Favorite Photos Using the Photos App
The Photos app is the primary place where favorite photos are stored and displayed.
- Click Start
- Search for Photos and open the app
- In the left sidebar, click Favorites
All photos you have marked as favorites will appear in this section, regardless of which folder they are stored in.
2. Mark Photos as Favorites (If Favorites Are Empty)
If the Favorites section is empty, you may not have added any photos yet.
- Open the Photos app
- Browse to any photo
- Open the photo
- Click the heart (♡) icon at the top
- The heart will turn solid, indicating the photo is now a favorite
Once marked, the image will immediately appear in the Favorites section.
3. View Favorites from the Gallery View
Favorites can also be accessed while browsing your full photo collection.
- Open the Photos app
- Click Gallery from the left panel
- Look for photos with a heart icon on them
These heart-marked images indicate favorites within your gallery.
4. Remove Photos from Favorites
If you no longer want a photo to appear in Favorites, you can unmark it.
- Open the photo in the Photos app
- Click the heart icon again
- The heart outline will disappear
The photo will be removed from the Favorites section but will remain in its original folder.
5. View Favorite Photos Stored in OneDrive
If OneDrive syncing is enabled, favorite photos can include cloud images.
- Open the Photos app
- Make sure OneDrive is connected and synced
- Go to Favorites
- Scroll to view both local and OneDrive photos
Favorites work across local and cloud images when OneDrive is active.
6. Refresh the Photos App If Favorites Don’t Appear
Sometimes favorites may not load correctly due to sync or app glitches.
- Close the Photos app
- Reopen the app
- Wait a few seconds for photos to refresh
- Check the Favorites section again
This forces the app to reload photo metadata.
7. Repair or Reset the Photos App (If Favorites Are Missing)
Corrupted app data can prevent favorites from showing.
- Open Settings
- Go to Apps > Installed apps
- Find Photos
- Click Advanced options
- Select Repair
- If needed, select Reset
Restart your PC after completing this step.
Final Thoughts
Viewing favorite photos in Windows 11 is simple once you know where to look. The Photos app keeps favorites organized in a dedicated section, allowing quick access without moving or duplicating files.
As long as photos are properly marked using the heart icon, they will remain visible in the Favorites view, whether stored locally or synced through OneDrive. This makes managing and revisiting important images fast and convenient.
