Snipping Tool in Windows 11: Shortcuts, Screen Recording and OCR

The Snipping Tool in Windows 11 is the built-in app for screenshots, short screen recordings and copying text from anything on your display. Press Windows + Shift + S to snip an area, Windows + Shift + R to record, and use Text actions to pull words out of an image. It’s free, needs no account and ships with every edition.

What is the Snipping Tool in Windows 11?

The Snipping Tool is Microsoft’s built-in capture app for Windows 11. It takes still screenshots in four shapes, records short screen videos, lets you mark up a capture with a pen or highlighter, and reads text inside images. It replaced the separate Snip & Sketch app, so there’s now one tool for all of it.

It’s included in Windows 11 Home, Pro and every other edition, and it works the same whether you sign in with a local account or a Microsoft account. Updates arrive through the Microsoft Store, which is why two PCs on the same Windows build can show slightly different buttons.

Some extras depend on hardware. Microsoft lists Perfect screenshot (which tightens the frame around on-screen content) and a colour picker as features for Copilot+ PCs, so don’t worry if you can’t find them on an older laptop.

Snipping Tool shortcuts you’ll actually use

The main Snipping Tool shortcut is Windows + Shift + S, which dims the screen and opens the capture bar. Windows + Shift + R jumps straight to video recording, and inside the app Ctrl + C copies and Ctrl + S saves. Print Screen can also be set to open the tool instead of copying the whole screen.

Make Print Screen open the Snipping Tool

On recent Windows 11 builds this is usually on already. To check, open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and look for Use the Print screen key to open Snipping Tool. Turn it off if you prefer the old behaviour of copying the whole screen in one press.

How do I take a screenshot on Windows 11 with the Snipping Tool?

To take a screenshot on Windows 11, press Win + Shift + S, pick a mode from the bar at the top (Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform), then drag or click to capture. The snip goes to your clipboard and a notification appears; click it to open the editor, where you can annotate, crop and save.

1. Press Win + Shift + S (or Print Screen if the setting above is on).
2. Choose a mode: Rectangle for a dragged box, Window for a single app, Full screen for everything, Freeform for any shape.
3. Drag across the area, or click the window you want.
4. Paste straight into an email or chat with Ctrl + V, or click the notification to open the editor.
5. In the editor, use the pen, highlighter, shapes or crop tool, then press Ctrl + S to save as PNG or JPG.

Delayed screenshots for menus and tooltips

Some things vanish the moment you press a key, such as right-click menus. Open the Snipping Tool app, choose a delay of 3, 5 or 10 seconds, select New, then open the menu before the timer runs out.

Things the Snipping Tool won’t do

It doesn’t capture a long scrolling web page in one go. For that, take several snips or use your browser’s own full-page capture. For heavier image edits, the editor’s Edit with Paint option hands the snip over to Paint.

A practical note from our support desk: if Windows isn’t activated, any full-screen snip includes the “Activate Windows” watermark in the corner. Many readers only notice it when a screenshot lands in a work report. Our guide to removing the Activate Windows watermark explains why it appears and the legitimate ways to clear it.

How to record your screen with the Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool screen recording works through Win + Shift + R, or by switching the app from Snip to Record and selecting New. Drag a box around the area, choose whether to include your microphone and system audio, press Start, then Stop. The clip saves automatically as an MP4 video.

1. Press Win + Shift + R, or open the app, select the video camera icon and choose New.
2. Drag to select the part of the screen you want to record.
3. Toggle the microphone (for a voiceover) and system audio (for sound from apps and videos).
4. Select Start. A short countdown runs before recording begins.
5. Select Stop. Preview the clip, then save it or choose Edit in Clipchamp to trim it or add captions.

To set audio defaults, open the app’s See more menu (three dots) > Settings and look under Screen recording. System audio and microphone recording arrived in later versions of the app, so update it from the Microsoft Store if you don’t see those toggles.

Microsoft has also tested exporting short recordings as GIFs. If your version offers it, it’s handy for quick how-to clips, but don’t count on it being there on every PC.

How to copy and extract text from a screenshot

To extract text, take a snip, open it in the editor and select Text actions. The Snipping Tool highlights every word it recognises; select the part you need and copy it, or choose Copy all text. Microsoft says this text recognition runs locally on your PC rather than being sent to the cloud.

The same panel offers Quick redact, which hides email addresses and phone numbers before you share an image. It’s worth using whenever you send screenshots of order confirmations or support chats, as they often show personal details.

Text Extractor: copy text without saving a screenshot

Newer versions add a Text Extractor button to the capture bar. You draw a box over the text and it goes straight to the clipboard, with options to remove line breaks or copy automatically. Its rollout has varied between app versions, so if you can’t see it, Text actions in the editor does the same job with one extra step.

This is handy for copying an error code from a dialog box you can’t select. For example, with checking whether Windows 11 is activated, you can snip the Activation page and paste the exact error code into a search or a support ticket.

Where are Snipping Tool screenshots and recordings saved?

Snipping Tool screenshots are copied to the clipboard and, when auto-save is on, saved to Pictures\Screenshots in your user folder. Screen recordings save automatically to Videos\Screen Recordings. If OneDrive backs up your Pictures or Videos folders, the files sync to the cloud as well.

To change this, open the app, select See more > Settings, and adjust the auto-save options or the default screenshots folder. Use Save as in the editor when you want a one-off copy somewhere else, such as a project folder.

Lost a snip you didn’t save? Press Win + V to open clipboard history (if it’s switched on) and you may find it there. If a screenshot file was saved and then deleted, our walkthrough on recovering deleted files in Windows 11 covers the Recycle Bin, File History and recovery software.

Snipping Tool not working? Quick fixes

If Win + Shift + S does nothing, the usual causes are another app grabbing the shortcut, notifications being switched off, or a damaged app install. Close screenshot tools such as cloud-storage capture features, check notifications, then repair or reset the app from Settings. These steps fix most cases in a few minutes.

1. Check for shortcut conflicts. Quit third-party capture apps and try again. Also check Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard for the Print Screen option.
2. Turn on notifications. Go to Settings > System > Notifications and make sure the Snipping Tool can show them, or the “click to edit” pop-up won’t appear.
3. Update the app. Open the Microsoft Store, select Downloads (or Library) and install any Snipping Tool update.
4. Repair or reset. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Snipping Tool, select Advanced options, then Repair. If that fails, choose Reset.
5. Restart Windows Explorer or the PC. A stuck overlay often clears after a restart.

If several built-in apps misbehave at once, the problem is usually Windows itself rather than the Snipping Tool. Running the DISM /RestoreHealth repair is the next sensible step. Microsoft’s own Snipping Tool help page lists the current options and shortcuts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for the Snipping Tool in Windows 11?

The Snipping Tool shortcut is Windows + Shift + S for screenshots and Windows + Shift + R for screen recordings. You can also set the Print Screen key to open it under Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard. Inside the app, Ctrl + C copies a snip and Ctrl + S saves it as a PNG or JPG file.

Can the Snipping Tool record my screen with sound?

Yes. Current versions of the Snipping Tool can record your microphone for a voiceover and system audio from apps and videos. Toggle both before pressing Start, or set defaults in the app’s Settings under Screen recording. If the toggles are missing, update the Snipping Tool from the Microsoft Store and try again.

Where do Snipping Tool screenshots go?

Every snip is copied to the clipboard. With auto-save switched on, screenshots are also saved to the Screenshots folder inside Pictures, and screen recordings go to Screen Recordings inside Videos. You can change the screenshots folder in the app’s Settings, or use Save as in the editor to store a single copy elsewhere.

How do I copy text from an image on Windows 11?

Take a snip, open it in the Snipping Tool editor and select Text actions. The app highlights the recognised text so you can copy a selection or choose Copy all text. Some versions also have a Text Extractor button on the capture bar that copies text straight to the clipboard without saving an image.

Is the Snipping Tool free on Windows 11?

Yes. The Snipping Tool is built into every edition of Windows 11, including Home and Pro, and needs no subscription or Microsoft account. Updates come free through the Microsoft Store. A few extras, such as Perfect screenshot and the colour picker, are limited to Copilot+ PCs according to Microsoft’s documentation.

Does the Snipping Tool work if Windows isn’t activated?

Yes, the Snipping Tool still works on an unactivated copy of Windows 11. The catch is that full-screen captures include the “Activate Windows” watermark, and some personalisation settings stay locked. Activating Windows with a valid product key removes the watermark from both your desktop and your screenshots.

The bottom line

Learn three shortcuts (Win + Shift + S, Win + Shift + R and Print Screen) and the Snipping Tool covers almost every capture job on Windows 11, from quick annotated screenshots to narrated recordings and copied text. If your captures keep showing the activation watermark, read our Windows 11 Home vs Pro comparison before choosing a licence.

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