Get Windows Photo Viewer Alternatives For Windows PC in 2023

Microsoft has been continuously changing their operating system. They have brought many different changes to their old operating system. Their last operating system was Windows 10. Microsoft is currently focusing only on updating Windows 10. One of the changes they did in Windows 10 was removing the old Windows Photo Viewer app. Instead of Photo Viewer app, windows is currently using the Photos app. It is a modern-looking application. But, it performs its tasks very slowly. It takes a lot of time just to load an image. Thus, most Windows users don't like using the Photos app. It is slow when compared to other photo viewer applications. There are many good Windows Photo Viewer alternatives available in the market. You can use them to replace the Photos app. If you want to use Windows Photo Viewer, then you can bring it back by using a small trick. You can find that trick in the last section of this article. But, first, let's talk about best Windows Photo Viewer alternative for Windows 10.

What is Windows Photo Viewer ?

Windows Photo Viewer is a basic image viewing program that comes pre-installed on many Windows computers. It has a simple interface and provides basic viewing features, such as the ability to zoom in and out, rotate images, and view EXIF data. It also includes a slideshow feature, which allows you to easily create a slideshow of your photos.

While Windows Photo Viewer is not as powerful as some other image viewing programs, it is still a good option for those who need a basic image viewer. If you are looking for a more advanced image viewer, there are many free and paid options available online.

Top 8 Best Windows Photo Viewer Alternatives For Windows PC in 2023

We have found 8 best Photo Viewer alternatives for windows users. These alternatives are better when compared to the Photos app. If you are a hardcore fan of Windows Photo viewer, then you can also restore. We have also added the trick of restoring old photo viewer in this article.

1. IrfanView - Link

This is one of the best Windows Photo viewer alternatives available in the market. You can use it to view photos in your Windows computer. If you are switching from the Photos app, then you will love this app. Unlike the Photos app, this app is extremely fast. It can load images in seconds. The difference in the performance of IrfanView and Photos app is very big. It is lightweight software. Irfanview is only 3 MB in size. But even so, it can do its work pretty efficiently. The developer has not added any useless feature in this application. That's why it is very lightweight.

But, IrfanView is not only about performance. It can support most of the media formats. You can also use the image editor to edit your images. It can also batch edit images or convert your media files. If you can't see a picture properly, then you can use the zoom feature. The functions of this application are pretty similar to the old Photo viewer application. But, you will get various additional perks of Irfanview app. If you want a good Photos app alternative, then Irfanview is perfect for you. You don't need to worry about laggy Photos app.

You can install IrfanView from Microsoft Store.

2. ImageGlass - Link

IrfanView is very good in terms of performance. But, it has a very old user interface. Most users don't like its old user interface. If you want a good-looking app who can deliver similar performance, then ImageGlass is perfect for you. It is a modern-looking application which can replace the Photos app. The best thing about ImageGlass is its simple user interface. Anyone can easily use it. The performance of this app is superior when compared with the old Windows Photos app. It can load any image in a second. You will also get a preview of every image.

Most applications use nested menus for navigation purpose. But, ImageGlass is using quick menu which is on the top of every image. It has all the basic features like zoom, rotation, print, and other important features. If you want to rotate any picture, then click on the rotate option. If you want to print any image, then click on the print option. All the important options are accessible from this menu. If you want a powerful application with great looks, then ImageGlass is perfect for you. You will see a huge jump in performance after using this application. If you don't IrfanView design, then you should switch to ImageGlass.

Download ImageGlass from there site

3. Restore Windows 7 Photo Viewer app

Most people are still in love with the old Windows photo viewer. It was one of the best applications to view images in Windows. Windows 7 Photo Viewer is very fast when it comes to opening any image. There were no issues with the old Windows Photo viewer application. Thus, most people still want to use it. If you want to use the old Photo viewer, then we have good news for you. You can easily restore the old Windows Photo viewer application in Windows 10. Now, we are going to tell you a simple trick which you can use to restore the old Windows Photo viewer application. After that, you can use both image viewer apps on your computer. Just follow the below steps to use Windows 7 Photo Viewer:

1. First, you need to install old registry files from the internet. You can get all the files from here.

2. After that, open the Registry file in your computer. It will ask for admin permission, just allow it. It will again ask for permission before merging with Registry. Click on "Yes" to allow it.

3. Now, search for "Windows Settings" in the search bar. Open the most appropriate result.

4. After opening settings, click on the "Apps" section.

5. Click on the "Default apps" tab which is on the left pane.

6. After that, change the default photo viewer app to "Windows Photo Viewer".

7. Now you can open all your images in the Windows Photo viewer application. It will load all your images in no time.

4. FastStone Image Viewer - Link

If you love viewing your photos in full screen, then FastStone Image Viewer is the perfect application for you. It is pretty fast when compared with the Photos app. FastStone can open most of the image formats. Also, it will let you the complete image in the full screen. If you like editing photos, then the full-screen preview option will help you a lot. You will get a clear idea of what you need to edit. This app is for those who are working on different images all day. There are also some editing options available in this like. You can do the color management of any picture, changing effects or view histogram. Overall, FastStone image viewer is perfect for viewing images in full-screen. If you are a professional photographer or image editor, then you must try this app.

You can download / install FastStone Image Viewer from their official website

5. XnView - Link

XnView is another very famous app for viewing pictures on Windows pc. The best thing about XnView is that it can handle multiple pictures in a single window. It is always good to have a one-stop window where you can open all the images. Thanks to this feature it becomes easy to navigate or view multiple images at the same point. You can use this feature to compare multiple pictures at one time. It can organize all the images you have in a single window. You can preview any image in detail by clicking on it.

It allows you to zoom, rotate the picture or start a slideshow. All these features are present in only one single window. This feature is unique. You won't find this type of feature in any other photo viewing application. It is currently the best photo viewer application in the market. Its performance is excellent even when it can open multiple images. If you are someone who likes viewing multiple images at one time, then this application is perfect for you.

You can install / download XnView from their official website

6. HoneyView - Link

If you are looking for a lightweight and simple photo viewer, then Honeyview is perfect for you. It doesn't offer various features to its users. But, it provides a simple interface with excellent performance. This application can load images very fast. You won't experience any lag issues in this application. This application also has all the necessary features like rotations, slideshow, and crop.

The best thing about HoneyView is that it lets you bookmark images. You can easily find the images that you have bookmarked. It also has an image clipboard. You can copy many different images in this clipboard. After that, you can paste them in different folders. Overall, if you are looking for a simple photo viewer, then Honeyview is perfect for you. It is simple yet very stable. If you don't want to restore the old Windows photo viewer application, then this is the best alternative.

You can install HoneyView from their official website

7. Nomacs - Link

If you are a fan of open-source applications, then Nomacs is perfect for you. You can find its complete code on the Github. It is an excellent photo viewer when it comes to performance. Nomacs can load any image in a blink. It is way faster when compared with the old Photos app. You can open any image in an instant. You won't experience any lag while opening images. It has a standard user interface like most of the other photo viewer application. The app offers various basic features like print, crop, zoom, etc. However, it has a powerful inbuilt image editor. You can use this image editor to edit your pictures. It can do batch processing, sharpen any image or manage the opacity. If you are looking for an open-source option, then Nomacs is perfect for you.

8. JPEGView - Link

If you are looking for a light photo viewer, then JPEGView is perfect for you. It is the lightest photo viewer application in this list. You only need 2 MB of hard disk space to install this application. It is simple photo viewer application will support most of the media formats. JPEGView will open all the images in the full-screen mode. You can also change it to window mode. It offers various features like quick navigation, color correction, and photo enchantments. You will also get all the basic features like it can access EXIF data, slideshow, rotation, etc. Most people like JPEGView due to its small footprint. It is a tiny application still it can perform very efficiently. It won't choke your CPU memory. If your pc is not powerful, then JPEGView is perfect for your computer. You can replace the default photos app by JPEGView.

Conclusion of Best Windows Photo Viewer Alternatives

These were all the good Photo Viewer alternatives available in the market. If you are a fan of old photo viewer application, then you can also restore it. We have tried to include a wide range of applications. If you have a low-powered pc, then you can go for the last option. However, IrfanView is the best image viewer in the market. It has a little old interface. But, it is still the fastest image viewer in the market.