To view your favorite photos on Windows 10, open the Photos app and select Favorites in the left pane. In the older version of the app (Microsoft Photos Legacy), go to Albums and open the Favorites album. Favorites are a label inside the Photos app, not a folder, so you won’t find a “Favorites” folder of pictures in File Explorer.
Applies to: Windows 10 version 22H2 with the current Photos app or Microsoft Photos Legacy. Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Windows 10 reached the end of standard support on October 14, 2025.
Which Photos app do you have?
- Current Photos app: a left-side navigation pane with All Photos, Favorites, Folders and OneDrive.
- Microsoft Photos Legacy: tabs across the top, such as Collection, Albums, People, Folders and Video Editor.
View favorites in the current Photos app
- Open Start and select Photos.
- Select Favorites in the left pane. If you don’t see the pane, select the menu icon (three lines) at the top left.
- Double-click a photo to open it. Use the arrow keys to move through your favorites, or press F5 for a slideshow.
View favorites in Photos Legacy
- Open Photos Legacy from Start.
- Select the Albums tab.
- Open the Favorites album.
Add a photo to Favorites
- Open the photo and select the heart icon at the top.
- Or right-click a thumbnail and choose Add to favorites.
- To add several at once, select them with the checkboxes or Ctrl+click, then right-click and choose Add to favorites.
Select the heart again, or choose Remove from favorites, to take a photo out. The photo itself isn’t deleted.
Copy your favorites into a folder
Because favorites aren’t a folder, copy them out if you want to back them up, send them or put them on a USB stick:
- In Favorites, select all the photos (Ctrl+A or the select checkboxes).
- Right-click and choose Copy, or drag them onto a folder.
- Open a new folder in File Explorer and press Ctrl+V.
To move them to a USB drive afterwards, see how to copy photos from Windows 10 to a USB stick.
Use favorites to build an album
Favorites work well as a quick shortlist. For example, before printing photos or making a slideshow, go through a folder and heart the best shots, then open Favorites to see only those. In Photos Legacy you can then select them and choose Add to > New album to keep that set under its own name; in the current app, copy them into a new folder in File Explorer and add that folder under Folders. When you’re finished, select all and remove them from favorites so the list is ready for the next project.
Where favorites from your phone go
Favorites you mark on an iPhone or Android phone don’t automatically appear as favorites in Windows. If you sync with OneDrive, browse the OneDrive section in Photos, or open the OneDrive Photos site to see phone favorites. To bring photos over first, see how to transfer photos from a phone to a Windows 10 PC.
Troubleshooting
There’s no Favorites section
Update the Photos app from the Microsoft Store. In Photos Legacy, the Favorites album may not appear until you’ve marked at least one photo as a favorite.
My favorites disappeared
Favorites are stored in the Photos app’s database. Resetting the app or moving photos to another folder can clear them. If photos were moved, add their new folder in Folders and mark them again.
Photos opens slowly
Very large libraries take time to index. Remove folders you don’t need in the app’s settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play my favorites as a slideshow?
Yes. Open Favorites, open the first photo and press F5. See how to view photos as a slideshow in Windows 10.
Can I resize favorites before sharing?
Yes; see how to resize an image in Windows 10.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.