Running a slideshow of your photos in Windows 11? Fairly simple, but honestly, some steps are a tad hidden if you don’t poke around. The Photos app is your main tool here, and yeah, it’s built-in, so no extra download needed. But figuring out how to get a seamless loop without fuss? That’s where things get kind of weird, and sometimes you hit a wall. Still, here’s what usually works in my experience.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Slideshow Photos in Windows 11
Creating a slideshow in Windows 11 isn’t rocket science, but there’s a few tricks. The key is selecting the right photos, and this part is straightforward—but if you’re expecting a full-on playlist control, nope, it’s kinda basic. Still, let’s roll through it.
Step 1: Open the Photos App
Start by hitting the Start menu or just type “Photos” into the search bar. Find the app (it’s pre-installed, no need to hunt for it). Sometimes it’s in the pinned apps; sometimes buried in the apps list. Essentially, you want to open Microsoft Photos. If it’s not opening right away, a quick restart might help — Windows can be weird sometimes.
Step 2: Select Your Photos
Navigate to your photo folder. The Pictures folder is a good place to start. Now, select multiple images — hold Ctrl while clicking each shot. You can also select a bunch at once by clicking the first, then Shift + click the last in the range. Make sure the selection is just right, because that’s what you’ll cycle through.
Because Windows Photos doesn’t have a direct “Select all for slideshow” feature outside of individual albums or folders, this is the best way to prepare your batch before launching. Pro tip: putting all your photos into one folder just makes things easier to get to later.
Step 3: Start the Slideshow
Click on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then pick “Slideshow”. Surprisingly, this is a quick way to start a presentation, but don’t expect any fancy controls or timeline adjustments. It just kicks off showing your current selection in a loop.
On some setups, the slideshow doesn’t auto-restart after the last pic—kind of annoying. Sometimes a reboot helps clear those bugs, but honestly, if you want a proper looping slideshow, you might need a third-party app.
Step 4: Adjust the Settings (Optional)
Within the Photos app, there’s not a ton of customization for the slideshow besides the start/stop. If you want more controls like slide duration or transitions, you’ll need extra tools—like PhotoStage or similar. But if all you need is a quick run and done, it’s enough.
Step 5: Enjoy the Show
You’ll see your images flicker through in the sequence you selected, but remember: Windows’ built-in slideshow can be flaky about looping. It’s pretty much “show until you stop it,” not a continuous, auto-repeating loop out of the box.
Anyway, if it’s not looping as desired, a workaround is to keep the Photos app open and manually restart it when it stops. Or you could try a little scripting or third-party app—but that’s more involved.
Tips for Slideshow Photos in Windows 11
- Organize your photos in folders or albums so you can pick them quickly later.
- Use the Enhance feature in Photos to improve pics before slideshow — makes it look sharper.
- Consider apps like FastStone Image Viewer if you’re serious about customization and looping — better control overall.
- Keep Windows Updates current; they often improve app stability or fix bugs.
- To add music, you’ll need a video editor or specialized slideshow software—Photos doesn’t do that directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the order of the photos in my slideshow?
Sort of. If you want specific order, best to put the images into a folder and name them numerically (like 01, 02, 03). Windows Plus apps might let you arrange images in albums, but the built-in slideshow just uses the order of selection.
What file types are supported in the Windows 11 Photos app?
Pretty standard: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF should work fine. If you’re using raw files or HEIC images, you might need extra codecs or convert them first.
Can I add music directly in the Photos app?
Nope. You’ll need to use a dedicated slideshow/video app for that. The Photos app is kinda limited in that respect.
Is it possible to view the slideshow on a second monitor?
Yes, if you extend your display via Display Settings, you can drag the Photos window over there and run the slideshow. Just a heads-up: Windows doesn’t officially support full-screen slideshow over multiple monitors in the default app.
Can I save the slideshow as a video file?
Not with Photos. For that, you’d need something like a dedicated video editor. Or try free tools like HandBrake, but that’s overkill.
Summary
- Open the Photos app.
- Select your photos (multi-select with Ctrl or Shift).
- Click the three-dot menu and hit “Slideshow.”
- Deal with limited options—maybe tweak your photos or try a third-party tool for full control.
- Enjoy (or deal with) the looping results.
Conclusion
Getting a slideshow going in Windows 11 is simple enough in theory, but if you want it to be perfect—like, auto-repeating endlessly—you might hit some snags. That’s why some folks turn to free apps or even simple video editors to get the full experience. But for quick and dirty? The Photos app does the job, mostly. Sometimes it helps to restart the app or reboot if things aren’t behaving, Windows being Windows. Overall, it’s decent for casual viewing, but for anything more polished, third-party tools are the way to go. Fingers crossed this helps someone save a little time hacking around the limitations.