Unwanted Photos app keeps returning when OneDrive updates in Windows 11

Question

A routine background update of the Microsoft OneDrive sync client silently added a new "OneDrive Photos" application to Windows 11 PCs starting around 1 August 2026. The app is not a Microsoft Store package: it ships as OneDrive.App.exe inside C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\ and drops Start menu shortcuts, so it does not appear as a separate entry under Settings > Apps > Installed apps and cannot be uninstalled on its own.

Because it is bundled with the sync client, deleting the executable or its shortcuts only works until the next OneDrive update re-downloads it. The only complete removal is uninstalling OneDrive entirely, which also breaks File Explorer integration and file sync. The rollout also reached Intune-managed Windows 11 Enterprise devices, where the app is useless because it only works with personal Microsoft accounts, and Group Policy and Intune offer no control to block it since it is not a packaged app.

Microsoft confirmed the app was an incubation project that "went more broadly than it should have" and that it was pushed to millions of PCs by mistake. Microsoft EVP Jeff Teper acknowledged the error publicly and said a fix was being worked on. Privacy concerns were also raised because the app requests access to all local folders by default and carries AI features; Microsoft stated it does not train on users' facial data.

Steps to reproduce:

Run Windows 11 with the Microsoft OneDrive sync client installed and automatic updates enabled.
Let the client update itself to build 26.129.0706.0003 (rolled out from late July / 1 August 2026).
Open the Start menu or Windows Search and type "Photos" — an "OneDrive Photos" entry appears, ranked above Microsoft Photos.
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and look for "OneDrive Photos" — no separate entry exists, so it cannot be uninstalled individually.
Delete the shortcut at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OneDrive Photos.lnk (and the per-user copies under AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\), then wait for the next OneDrive update — the app and its shortcuts come back.

Solution: Not yet available at the time of writing. Microsoft has committed to adding a control that removes the OneDrive Photos experience separately from the OneDrive app, without uninstalling OneDrive, interrupting file sync, or deleting files; the uninstall button is scheduled to reach everyone in September 2026. Microsoft also said devices that were never meant to be in the test will have the app pulled back in a future update.

Workaround: Uninstall the entire OneDrive sync client via Settings > Apps > Installed apps (this removes File Explorer integration and stops sync). A lighter mitigation is a PowerShell script that deletes the Start menu shortcuts without touching the executable, but the shortcuts reappear after every OneDrive update. Blocking the app through Group Policy or Intune is not possible because it is not delivered as a packaged app.

Severity: Medium (unwanted software installed without consent on consumer and managed enterprise PCs, with no supported removal path and no admin policy control, but no crash, no data loss, and file sync itself keeps working)
First seen: 29 July 2026 (broad rollout observed from 1 August 2026)
Affected product: Microsoft OneDrive
Affected platforms: Windows 11 (consumer and Enterprise, including Intune-managed devices)
Affected versions: OneDrive sync client builds rolled out from late July 2026, reported as 26.129.0706.0003
Fixed versions: Not yet available — independent uninstall control announced for September 2026

Links:

Unwanted Photos app keeps returning when OneDrive updates in Windows 11

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