Why do my 360 photos look stretched on Windows 11?

They are equirectangular images — a 2:1 rectangle that maps a full sphere onto a flat JPEG. Windows Photos treats that file as a normal picture, so you see a distorted sausage instead of a room you can look around.

How do I view 360 photos on Windows 11?

Do not rely on the Photos app. Put the files in a pin360 project, save them on the server, and open the interactive 360 viewer in any browser. The same project works on a phone or a client laptop.

Is pin360 a 360 degree image viewer?

Yes. It renders equirectangular 360° photos as an interactive sphere with pan, tilt, and zoom. Unlike a one-tab local viewer, the photos stay in a project so you can come back later or share a link.

Can I view Insta360 photos on a PC without Insta360 Studio?

Yes. Export the equirectangular JPEG from the camera or app, upload it to a pin360 project, and open it in the browser. You do not need Studio running, and the file is not locked to that Windows machine.

Do I need a floor plan to use the 360 viewer?

No. Start with a project and your photos. Pin them to a PDF drawing later if you have one.

360 degree image viewer

How to view 360 photos on Windows 11

Windows Photos opens them as stretched JPEGs. That is the file format, not a broken camera. pin360 stores the 360s in a project on the server so you can look around from any browser — this PC, your phone, or a client laptop.

Create a free project Why they look stretched →

Photos · IMG_20241024.jpg

Can't pan

Windows Photos

Stretched. Can't pan. Stuck on this PC. pin360 stores the same file so you can look around in any browser.

Stretched, can't pan, stuck on this PC — that is Windows Photos. pin360 stores the same file so you can look around in any browser.

What this viewer is — and is not

A project you can reopen

Photos upload to the server. Close the tab, use another device, send a client link. They are still there.

Any 360 camera

Insta360, Ricoh Theta, GoPro Max, or any equirectangular JPEG. No Studio app required to look around.

A drawing when you have one

Pin the same 360s to a PDF floor plan later. You do not need a drawing to start viewing.

Not a local toy

A File API viewer that never leaves this PC recreates the Windows problem. pin360 is the stored project.

Questions

Why do my 360 photos look stretched on Windows 11?: They are equirectangular images — a 2:1 rectangle that maps a full sphere onto a flat JPEG. Windows Photos treats that file as a normal picture, so you see a distorted sausage instead of a room you can look around.
How do I view 360 photos on Windows 11?: Do not rely on the Photos app. Put the files in a pin360 project, save them on the server, and open the interactive 360 viewer in any browser. The same project works on a phone or a client laptop.
Is pin360 a 360 degree image viewer?: Yes. It renders equirectangular 360° photos as an interactive sphere with pan, tilt, and zoom. Unlike a one-tab local viewer, the photos stay in a project so you can come back later or share a link.
Can I view Insta360 photos on a PC without Insta360 Studio?: Yes. Export the equirectangular JPEG from the camera or app, upload it to a pin360 project, and open it in the browser. You do not need Studio running, and the file is not locked to that Windows machine.
Do I need a floor plan to use the 360 viewer?: No. Start with a project and your photos. Pin them to a PDF drawing later if you have one.

Ready to stop looking at the sausage JPEG?

Free keeps one Active Project and adds up to 20 photos or findings every rolling 30 days. A floor plan is optional.

Create a free project