Microsoft Photos will use AI to auto-categorize your photos

How would you like it if Microsoft Photos automatically categorized your photos? Well, that’s exactly what Microsoft is testing across the Insider Program.
The Redmond company’s latest experimental feature will allow Microsoft Photos to use AI to detect the contents of your photos, and organize them into various categories. Microsoft says it helps users save time, reduce clutter, and helps navigate the photo library. The AI-powered feature is only available on Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft Photos will group your images based on visual content. Currently, Auto-Categorization supports four categories: screenshots, receipts, identity documents, and notes. It is capable of identifying handwritten notes, printed documents, or receipts.

These categories are listed on the sidebar. Users can create categories manually. You can also use the search bar to find images that you want. Microsoft says that the AI model is also language-agnostic, for instance, it can detect and categorize a Passport correctly, even if the text in a Passport isn’t in English.
You know, all this sounds very similar to Windows Recall. It also reminds me of Enhanced Visual Search in iOS/iPadOS and macOS.
The announcement is rather vague, I couldn’t find information that says the data is processed locally on the device. But since it is only available for Copilot+ PCs, and given the sensitive nature of the content that is categorized, there is a possibility that the AI model processes the content on-device. But, don’t quote me on that. Even if it doesn’t use cloud services to recognize the content in images, some users may be concerned about their privacy. It’s unclear how the feature can be disabled.
Auto-Categorization is available for Windows Insiders on all channels, with the Microsoft Photos app version 2025.11090.25001.0 or higher.  The app now supports Super Resolution on Snapdragon, AMD and Intel powered Copilot+ PCs.
I have lost count on how many AI-powered features there are on Windows 11.
What do you think about this feature? Useful to have, or a privacy-nightmare?
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