How to Use the Filmstrip Feature in Windows 11 Photos App
The filmstrip in the Windows 11 Photos app is a horizontal row of thumbnail previews along the bottom of the window. It lets you move through every image in a folder without going back to the main gallery. Click any thumbnail and that image opens at once. This helps when you compare similar shots, up to 100 in the strip, or when you pick files to edit or delete.
The filmstrip needs Photos version 2023.11100.15009.0 or later. If you don’t see it, update the app first. Open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and install any pending updates for Photos. You can check your current version in the Photos app settings under About.
Open the Photos app and any image. Click the Show Filmstrip icon in the bottom left or press the F key. This displays a row of thumbnails at the bottom, allowing you to quickly browse and compare photos in the same folder.
How to turn on the Filmstrip
- Open the Photos app from the Start menu or by searching for it. The main gallery of your pictures and videos should appear.
- Open any photo or video from your folders. It will fill the window in the single-item viewer. The filmstrip only works in this view, not in the gallery grid.
- Look at the bottom left corner of the window, then click the Show Filmstrip icon. A row of thumbnails should appear along the bottom, with the image you opened highlighted.
- Alternatively, press the F key on your keyboard. It does the same thing as the icon and is faster when you are paging through many photos.
Turning on the filmstrip takes one click or one keystroke inside the Photos app. Open any picture or video from your computer, then click the Show Filmstrip icon in the bottom-left corner of the window. You can also press the F key to bring up the row of thumbnails.
Once the strip is showing, click any thumbnail to jump straight to that image. The thumbnails come from the same folder as the photo you opened. If you don’t see the icon, make sure you are viewing a single photo and not the gallery. If it is still missing, update Photos as described at the top of this guide.
To hide the filmstrip again, click the same toggle button you used to show it, or press the F key once more. The row of thumbnails should disappear and the image will use the full window again. You can turn it back on at any time the same way.
It works the same on Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, and you do not need to restart your PC.
Reference: Microsoft
Summary
The filmstrip shows a row of small pictures at the bottom of the Photos app. It makes it quick to browse and compare photos in the same folder. Show it with the icon or the F key, click a thumbnail to switch images, and hide it the same way when you want a clean view.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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