Heart icon has disappeared in Windows 11 Photos app

Alan Francis 0 Reputation points
2026-09-12T08:41:56.52+00:00

Hi,

Not sure what's causing this, but for some reason the 'heart' icon to add favourites to my Photos app has disappeared - as shown on screenshot below, with the red rectangle marking where it was previously.

This is quite frustrating as I am a nature photographer, and take large numbers of images of the same scene, and have always used this feature to quickly highlight the 'best' of a bunch of very similar photos.

My pictures are located in the Pictures folder and are indexed in the app. I've followed the online advice I've found, and have:

  1. repaired Windows Photos app
  2. reset Windows Photos app
  3. uninstalled an reinstalled Windows Photos app
  4. rebooted the PC several times

I'm running Windows 11, and have the up to date version of the app - 2026.11080.24002.0 and Windows is fully updated.

Screenshot 2026-09-12 093428

Any suggestions?

Alan

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video
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  1. Paulo GM 72,055 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-12T09:27:39.2333333+00:00

    Hi,

    I don't see it in version 2026.11080.24002.0 either. I can't say for certain whether this is intentional or a bug, but I highly suggest reporting it through the Send feedback option in the app's settings so it can be looked into.

    In the meantime, you can use Photos Legacy as your default. The heart icon or Add to Favorites option still works properly there. Also, any images you add to Favorites in Photos Legacy should also appear in the Favorites section of the Photos app.

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  2. Alan Francis 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-12T09:27:09.92+00:00

    The AI solution above has partly helped, which is why I've not deleted it. The suggestion is that Microsoft no longer include the heart icon and favourites option in the Photos app (bizarre regression in my view!).

    The advice is to choose 'photos legacy' from the settings in Photos. There is no such option in the app's settings, BUT Photos Legacy does feature as an option to download from the Microsoft store.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-12T08:42:25.6033333+00:00

    The current Photos experience documented for Windows does not list a heart button in the viewer toolbar. Instead, Favorites is available as part of the broader photos experience, and recent Photos updates emphasize actions such as edit, print, share, metadata, filmstrip, and multi-view.

    Given the steps already completed—repair, reset, reinstall, and reboot—the most supported conclusion is that this is likely a change in the current Photos app experience rather than a local app corruption issue.

    Available options from the documented behavior:

    1. Check whether the photo can still be marked through the broader photos experience where Favorites is supported.
    2. If the missing control is specific to the current app build, use Feedback Hub (WIN + F) to report it. Photos app feedback can be filed under Apps > Photos.
    3. If the older workflow is required, open Photos Legacy:
      • Open Photos from the taskbar search.
      • Select Settings.
      • Under Photos Legacy, select Open Photos Legacy.

    Photos Legacy is the version documented with favoriting in the toolbar, along with filmstrip and multi-view. It can run at the same time as the new Photos app.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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