10 Snipping Tool Hacks Every Windows 11 User Should Know
The Snipping Tool is the default app for taking screenshots in Windows 11. However, it offers much more functionality than just that: it can record screen video, extract text from images or websites where copying is prohibited, and even use a reverse image search tool. While ShareX remains my favorite app for taking screenshots in Windows , I believe the Snipping Tool has reached a point where it’s perfect for both beginners and experienced users. Here are 10 essential Snipping Tool tips every Windows 11 user should know .
Use the Scan Text feature to copy text from images.
Copying text from images is one of the most common uses of screenshot tools, and the Snipping Tool is great for this. In Windows 11, you can right-click any image and select Open with > Snipping Tool . After opening the photo, you can click the Select Text button to select all the text in the image. Windows will take a few seconds to detect all the text in the photo, and when it does, you can click the Copy All Text button in the pop-up menu. You can also select a single sentence or block of text by clicking and dragging the cursor over it, and right-clicking the selection to display the Copy Text button.
Use Text Extractor to copy text without taking screenshots.
If you only need to copy text from websites where the copy function is disabled, from app interface elements, or from PDFs of scanned pages where the text is difficult to select, you should use the Snipping Tool to select and copy the text without even taking a screenshot. This will reduce unnecessary clutter in the image, skipping the screenshot step and getting straight to extracting the text. To try this, open the Snipping Tool on your Windows computer and click the Text Extraction button on the toolbar. You can click and drag the cursor over the area of the screen containing the text, and the app will automatically select it after a moment. Click “Copy All Text” in the pop-up menu, and you’re done.
Use this setting to automatically remove sensitive information from screenshots.
The Snipping Tool allows you to perform basic image editing, including automatically hiding sensitive information in screenshots. Open any screenshot in the Snipping Tool and click “Scan Text.” After scanning the text, a pop-up menu will appear. Here, you can select “Quick Hide” to automatically hide all phone numbers and email addresses in the screenshot. This is a fairly precise method that overlays a black bar over sensitive information, making it much more secure than blurring phone numbers and email addresses .
Use the timer to set up your screen before taking screenshots.
Taking a detailed screenshot on your PC can be challenging, as the Snipping Tool takes a screenshot instantly by default. In such cases, you can set a delay of three to ten seconds before capturing the screen. If you have the Snipping Tool open, right-click its icon in the taskbar to quickly take a screenshot with a delay. Three buttons allow you to take a screenshot after three, five, or ten seconds. You can also set the Snipping Tool to always add a delay before capturing a screenshot. Open the app and click the camera icon in the toolbar. Then, click the timer icon in the toolbar and select your desired delay.
Use the Snipping Tool to record video tutorials to help others solve technical problems.
When friends or family members ask me for help with technical issues, I often send them a screen recording with narration to show them how to fix the problem. The Snipping Tool has a setting that allows me to turn on microphone audio by default when recording screens. This allows me to record my voice while demonstrating how to fix the problem and use the mouse pointer to highlight specific areas. Once you set the Snipping Tool to record audio by default when recording screens, the process takes virtually no time. Open the Snipping Tool on your computer and click the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner. Select “Settings” and turn on “Turn on microphone input by default when starting a screen recording.”
Use this feature to create screenshots ready for sharing on social media.
When taking screenshots, you can set the Scissors tool to automatically add a solid color border to each image. This is great for sharing on social media, as it makes your screenshots consistent and in keeping with your style. Go to the Scissors tool settings and enable the “Add border to each screenshot” option. Select the “Color” block to choose your desired border color, and use the “Thickness” slider to adjust the border width.
Use the Freeform tool to take screenshots of irregular shapes.
The Freehand tool lets you draw an area on the screen and capture everything within that area. You can draw any shape, and the tool will automatically close any small gaps in the shape to complete the screenshot. I like that the Freehand tool is flexible enough to smooth out poorly drawn shapes, meaning you don’t need a steady hand to take useful screenshots. To use this tool, open the Snipping Tool and click the camera icon in the toolbar. Then, select the rectangle icon and choose Freehand . When you take your next screenshot, the Snipping Tool will allow you to draw an irregular shape on the screen.
Disable automatic saving to prevent screenshots from accumulating on your computer.
If you disable automatic screenshot saving, screenshots will be copied directly to the clipboard. You can then make edits and send them to the desired app, or click the “Save” button to save the edited screenshots. This prevents screenshots from piling up and cluttering your hard drive. I only need to save about one in ten screenshots I take, which makes this feature especially useful. To try it out, go to the Snipping Tool settings and disable “Automatically save original screenshots.”
Use this tool to hide people’s faces in photos or screenshots.
The Scissors tool has a Shapes feature designed to hide people’s faces in images or screenshots. Here’s how it works: after opening an image in the Scissors tool, you’ll see a variety of editing tools in the toolbar. Select the Shapes tool, located next to the Eraser tool, and you’ll see a range of options. Choose the Emoji tool to add an emoji over the face. Alternatively, you can choose the Square or Oval tools, but be sure to use a color fill to completely hide sensitive information. Select Fill and choose a color. You can also turn off the outline if you prefer, as it adds a border to the shape you draw on the screenshot. Then, you can draw a rectangle, square, circle, or oval on the screenshot, and you’ll see a solid color block that can hide sensitive information.
Use the built-in reverse image search feature to identify objects in screenshots.
The Snipping Tool app has a reverse image search feature that uses Bing to search for objects, places, or elements in your screenshots or images. You can use this to identify objects in an image or to check if a scammer has copied someone else’s profile picture. To use this feature, open an image in Snipping Tool and tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of the app. Select “Visual Search with Bing,” and the Bing reverse image search results will open in your default browser.