How to Remove Gallery From File Explorer

In this guide we  will review how to hide and remove Gallery from the navigation pane in File Explorer in Windows 11. The Gallery item is a new folder that displays your photos, screenshots, and wallpapers in a convenient way. Something similar you may have seen in the Photos app.

So, Gallery is a new folder in Windows 11 which is available starting in the October 2023 update, known as "Moment 4". It appears in the left pane of File Explorer. Clicking it opens a special view that replicates the image listing found in the Photos app. It shows big preview thumbnails of images, hides file names, and arranges them in chronological order. It also shows a time line for easy navigation.

The "Gallery" folder is customizable. You can easily add more folders to it, so their files will also be displayed in the common view. Regardless of how many folders you have added to the Gallery, all the files will appear in its timeline. But they will remain at their original location on the drive. Note: the "Collection"  menu in the Gallery contains the "Manage Locations" option. By default, it only has the "Pictures" folder, but you can add others.

You can also use the Gallery functionality in the Save file/Open file dialog. It is very convenient when you are adding attachments, creating PowerPoint presentations, or composing social media posts. Moreover, the Command Bar in the File Explorer Gallery has a handy "Add Phone Photos" button that allows you to quickly acquire and show photos from your smartphone. The button shows a OneDrive QR code that you can scan with your phone and view the photos via OneDrive.

Some users may want to get rid of the Gallery entry. When you don't use it frequently, it just takes space in the navigation pane. So here's how to remove it.

To remove the Gallery folder from navigation pane in Windows 11 File Explorer, do the following.

Remove Gallery from File Explorer

1. Open the Registry Editor app (Win + R > regedit.)
2. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID.
3. On the left, right-click the CLSID subkey and select New > Key from the menu.
4. Name the new key {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}.
5. Now, right-click the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} key you just created, and select New > DWORD (32-bit)value.
6. Name the name value System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree value and keep its value data set to 0 to remove the Gallery from the navigation pane.
7. Restart File Explorer, e.g. close all its open windows and then open a new one.

You are done. This method will hide the Gallery item for your user account. It will disappear from the navigation pane in File Explorer.

Note: If you already have the System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree in the Registry, then double-click it to open the value dialog, and change it to 0.

Finally, to undo the change (restore the Gallery), just set System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree to 1. Reload File Explorer and you will see it again:

Also, to save you time, I've traditionally prepared ready-to-use REG files. Download them here:

Download Registry files

Extract the ZIP archive you have downloaded, so you will have these two files.

• Remove_Gallery_from_File_Explorer.reg = removes the Gallery icon from File Explorer.
• Add_Gallery_to_File_Explorer.reg​ = restores the Gallery entry.

Open the REG file, and confirm the User Account Control prompt (if any). Then click Yes to add the change to the Registry, and click OK in the Registry editor message. If File Explorer is open, then close it and start it to see the change.

The reviewed method applies to the current user account, i.e. to the one you are signed in with. But if you want to hide the Gallery in File Explorer for each and every user in your Windows 11, the Registry tweak should be different.

To hide Gallery in File Explorer for all users, do the following.

Hide Gallery in File Explorer for All Users

1. Launch the regedit app. You can type regedit in the Search pane (Win + S).
2. Now, go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327 key.
3. Under NameSpace_41040327 on the left, find the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} key.
4. Right-click the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} key, and select Delete from the context menu.
5. Now, re-launch File Explorer by closing open windows and opening it again. The Gallery entry is now hidden.

Done! This method hides Gallery in  File Explorer for all users in Windows 11.

If you occasionally change your mind and want to undo the change, here's how to add the Galery item back for all users.

Restore Gallery Entry in Navigation Pane for All Users

1. Close all File Explorer windows.
2. Launch regedit.exe, and go to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327.
3. Right-click NameSpace_41040327 in the left tree, and select New >Key from the menu.
4. Name the new key  {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} and press Enter.
5. Now, in the right pane, double-click the "(Default)" value and set its data to the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} string.

These steps will restore the Gallery for all user accounts. Open File Explorer, so it will appear in the navigation pane.

Ready-to-use REG files

To save your time, you can download the following REG files from this link:

Download REG files

They are packed in a ZIP archive. Extract its contents to any folder of your choice.

Open the Remove_Gallery_for_all_users.reg​ file to hide it for everyone. Click Yes in User Account Control, and then click Yes one more time to confirm the addition to the Registry.

The second file, Restore_Gallery_for_all_users.reg, adds the icon back.

Don't forget to relaunch File Explorer after you use the files.

That's it.

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