Microsoft has rolled out an exciting update to its Photos app, specifically designed for users of the new Copilot+ devices. The update brings two groundbreaking features: a “super resolution” capability and optical character recognition (OCR), enhancing the way users interact with images. This welcome addition follows the Copilot+ release, which, while lacking the much-anticipated Recall feature due to privacy concerns, is now bolstered with these innovative tools.
The super resolution feature, now available to users in the Windows Insider Preview channel, leverages the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) on the device. This advanced technology allows users to enhance and enlarge images by up to eight times their original size. This capability makes it ideal for improving low-quality photos, ensuring they look crisp and clear when preparing for large prints or displays. Additionally, the feature enables users to crop tightly into images while maintaining high resolution, bringing focus to the specific content they wish to highlight.
One of the most significant advantages of this new super resolution tool is that it processes everything locally. This means your images do not need to be sent to a third-party server for enhancement, providing users greater peace of mind about their privacy and data security.
In addition to super resolution, the update also introduces optical character recognition to the Photos app. This useful feature scans uploaded images for any discernible text and transcribes it into a format that users can easily copy and paste elsewhere. Users can extract text from documents housed within an image without the laborious task of manually transcribing, making it a time-saving asset for professionals and students alike.
To access these features, users must sign up for the Windows Insider build on their Copilot+ devices and update the Photos app to version 2024.11100.17007.0 or higher through the Microsoft Store. Once the update is complete, all the new functionalities will be available for immediate use, allowing users to fully experience the capabilities of the enhanced Photos app.
As Microsoft continues to improve its offerings, the Photos app update reflects its commitment to integrating powerful AI tools into everyday applications, enhancing user experience while prioritizing privacy. These features are not only a glimpse into the future of image processing but also an appeal to those who seek to utilize advanced technology without compromising their data security. With ongoing developments, the Copilot+ devices are expected to become staples for many users looking to leverage AI in their daily tasks.