On October 15, 2026, Microsoft announced the start of an updated Photos rollout to Windows Insiders. The company also announced that Relight is expanding to all Windows 11 devices; broader availability of the new Photos experiences is planned for later this year.
What is changing
Relight uses AI to alter an image’s lighting. The feature itself is not new: Microsoft introduced it for Copilot+ PCs in June 2025. The news concerns its announced access expansion in the updated app, rather than the first launch of AI editing.
Who could benefit
A small shop or venue preparing photographs for its own pages. An illustrative scenario: the person responsible for content compares an original product photo with a copy after lighting adjustments. This is a suggested test, not a business case verified by Nadali.
Our practical approach: retain the original, work on a copy, and check whether the perceived colour, texture or condition of the item has changed. Reject an edit that gives a misleading impression of the product. A venue photograph should likewise avoid suggesting lighting that a customer will not encounter in person.
Availability and limits
The announcement does not mean the new version is already available on every work computer. Check whether the tool is actually present on an approved test device; do not move a main work PC to a pre-release operating system simply for this trial.
When checked on October 24, 2026, Microsoft’s support page still describes Relight as exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. Exact availability on an ordinary Windows 11 device therefore needs a separate check. We do not carry over the older help page’s local-processing description to the newly expanded version without confirmation.
Nadali has not tested the update, editing accuracy or time savings. For a business owner, this is a reason to plan a small check once access appears, rather than a reason to replace hardware or change a production workflow.
Read also about human review of AI output.
Sources checked on October 24, 2026.
Author: Nadali. Prepared with AI assistance.
