# Snipping Tool
**Snipping Tool** is Microsoft's built-in Windows utility for capturing screenshots and recording selected areas of the screen. First included with [Windows Vista](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-vista), it was rebuilt for [Windows 11](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-11) by merging the classic Snipping Tool with the newer Snip & Sketch app, and it now combines image capture, screen recording, on-device text recognition (OCR), redaction, and a color picker in a single application.[1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots) • [2](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/08/12/first-set-of-windows-app-updates-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders-for-windows-11/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First included | Windows Vista; built into Vista and later versions and not available for separate download[3](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/tablet/snipping-tool-support-in-windows-vista) • [4](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3197656/download-snippingtool-exe) |
| Capture modes | Rectangle, window, full screen, and freeform image snips, plus rectangular-area video recording[1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots) |
| Main shortcuts | Windows logo key + Shift + S for a screenshot; Windows logo key + Shift + R for a screen recording; Windows logo key + Shift + T for direct text extraction[5](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings) • [6](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/07/11/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-27898-canary-channel/) |
| Text recognition | Text Actions OCR introduced in version 11.2308.33.0 (September 2023); all text recognition runs locally on the device[7](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/09/14/new-updates-for-snipping-tool-and-phone-link-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/) • [1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots) |
| Screen recording | Announced February 2023; microphone and system audio support added September 2023; window-mode recording added in version 11.2507.14.0 (August 2025)[8](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/02/28/introducing-a-big-update-to-windows-11-making-the-everyday-easier-including-bringing-the-new-ai-powered-bing-to-the-taskbar/) • [9](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/09/26/the-most-personal-windows-11-experience-begins-rolling-out-today/) • [10](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/08/15/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-26200-5751dev-channel/) |
| Notable security fix | The Acropalypse flaw (CVE-2023-28303), which left cropped image data recoverable, was fixed in version 11.2302.20.0 (March 2023)[11](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-acropalypse-privacy-bug-in-windows-11-snipping-tool/) |
| Known gap | No native scrolling capture for long webpages or documents[5](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings) |
## History
The original Snipping Tool shipped as part of Windows Vista, where Microsoft's documentation describes it as a Tablet PC component that let users capture a snip of any object on screen and then annotate, save, or share it.[3](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/tablet/snipping-tool-support-in-windows-vista) It remained a built-in part of Windows through [Windows 7](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-7), 8, and 10, alongside the separate Snip & Sketch app that Microsoft introduced later in the [Windows 10](https://www.edgepedia.org/windows-10) era.[4](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3197656/download-snippingtool-exe)
With Windows 11, Microsoft replaced both apps with a single new Snipping Tool that "represents the best experiences of both." The Windows 11 version adopted the Win + Shift + S shortcut from Snip & Sketch, added richer editing, and received a redesigned interface matching the new visual design, including a simplified toolbar and a new text tool.[2](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/08/12/first-set-of-windows-app-updates-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders-for-windows-11/) • [12](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/05/10/reimagining-the-apps-included-with-windows-11/)
## Capture modes and shortcuts
Snipping Tool captures four kinds of image snips: a rectangular snip drawn around an area, a window snip that captures a selected window such as a dialog box, a full-screen snip, and a freeform snip drawn in any shape. When a capture is taken, the image is automatically copied to the clipboard and opened in the Snipping Tool editor.[1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
The primary keyboard shortcuts are Windows logo key + Shift + S to capture a screenshot and Windows logo key + Shift + R to start a screen recording; pressing Print Screen also opens the capture overlay on current versions.[5](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings) A delay option of 1 to 5 seconds lets users compose a menu or other on-screen state before the capture fires, and in-app shortcuts include Alt + M to choose a snipping mode, Alt + D to delay capture, Ctrl + C to copy, and Ctrl + S to save.[1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
## Editing, OCR, and redaction
After a capture, the editor offers pen, highlighter, shapes, emojis, cropping, and undo and redo. Users can send the image to Paint for further editing or share it through Windows sharing.[1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
**Text Actions** arrived in September 2023 with Snipping Tool version 11.2308.33.0. The feature detects text in a captured screenshot so it can be selected and copied, with a Copy all text button and keyboard selection supported. The same update added redaction: Quick Redact automatically hides email addresses and phone numbers, and any selected text can be blacked out from the right-click menu. Microsoft states that all text recognition processes are performed locally on the device.[7](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/09/14/new-updates-for-snipping-tool-and-phone-link-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/) • [1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
In April 2025 Microsoft added a separate **Text extractor** button to the capture bar, designed to copy text to the clipboard without taking a screenshot at all, and the Win + Shift + T shortcut was added in July 2025 to jump directly into it.[13](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/04/15/text-extractor-in-snipping-tool-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/) • [6](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/07/11/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-27898-canary-channel/) Later additions include a color picker that reads any pixel on screen and copies HEX, RGB, or HSL values, and Perfect screenshot, an AI-powered capture mode that automatically snaps the selection area tightly around on-screen content; Perfect screenshot is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs.[14](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/07/22/windows-11-is-the-home-for-ai-on-the-pc-with-even-more-experiences-available-today/) A Quick markup mode added in September 2025 (version 11.2508.24.0) lets users annotate with pen, highlighter, shapes, and emojis directly in the selection area before finalizing the capture, toggled with Ctrl + E.[15](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/09/17/paint-snipping-tool-and-notepad-app-updates-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/)
## Screen recording
Screen recording was announced for Snipping Tool in February 2023 as a preview for Windows Insiders, letting users record a selected portion of the screen without third-party software.[8](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/02/28/introducing-a-big-update-to-windows-11-making-the-everyday-easier-including-bringing-the-new-ai-powered-bing-to-the-taskbar/) Audio and microphone support followed in September 2023, so recordings can include voice narration.[9](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/09/26/the-most-personal-windows-11-experience-begins-rolling-out-today/) Recordings are saved to the Videos > Screen Recordings folder, and finished clips can be edited in Microsoft Clipchamp, including generated captions and detached audio.[5](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings) • [1](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
## Developer integration
Third-party and first-party applications can invoke Snipping Tool through the `ms-screenclip:` URI scheme. The protocol supports image capture in rectangle, freeform, and window modes, video capture, customization of which capture modes the UI offers, and optional auto-save. A `discover` host lets an application query the supported capabilities and protocol versions at runtime. Responses, including a file-access token for the captured media, are delivered back to the calling app through a redirect URI; this callback path requires the caller to be a packaged Windows app (MSIX), because the operating system uses the package identity to route the response securely.[17](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/launch/launch-snipping-tool)
## Security: the Acropalypse flaw
In March 2023, security researchers Simon Aarons and David Buchanan disclosed that the Windows 11 Snipping Tool shared a privacy flaw with [Google Pixel](https://www.edgepedia.org/google-pixel)'s Markup editor, dubbed Acropalypse. When a screenshot was cropped and saved over the original file, the tool added a new IEND chunk to the PNG but left much of the original image data after it, allowing the cropped-out content to be partially recovered with a modified exploit script. The same flaw affected Snip & Sketch on Windows 10, while the old Vista-era Snipping Tool was not affected.[18](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/03/windows-10-and-11-get-their-own-version-of-the-acropalypse-screenshot-bug/)
Microsoft fixed the bug in Snipping Tool version 11.2302.20.0, released to Windows Insiders in the Canary channel on March 22, 2023; the fixed version correctly truncates the unused data so the cropped file contains only one IEND chunk. No fix was immediately available for the Windows 10 Snip & Sketch app.[11](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-acropalypse-privacy-bug-in-windows-11-snipping-tool/)
## Limitations and alternatives
Snipping Tool does not natively capture scrolling webpages or long documents; Microsoft's own guidance points users to third-party tools for that case.[5](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings) It also lacks upload integrations with image hosts and cloud services, and its annotation set is narrower than dedicated tools such as Snagit.[19](https://www.tweaktown.com/guides/11466/the-snipping-tool-quietly-became-the-only-screenshot-app-i-keep-installed-on-windows-11/index.html) Common alternatives on Windows include ShareX, a free open-source tool with scrolling capture, automation, and upload workflows, and Greenshot, a lightweight open-source capture utility.[20](https://www.itechguides.com/free-screenshot-apps-for-windows-11-snipping-tool-sharex-and-greenshot-compared/)
The app has continued to change after 2023. In 2026, as part of a stated effort to reduce unnecessary Copilot entry points across Windows, Microsoft removed the "Ask Copilot" button from Snipping Tool entirely.[21](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/03/20/our-commitment-to-windows-quality/) • [22](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/05/01/windows-quality-update-progress-weve-made-since-march/)
## References
1. [Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots, Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots)
2. [First set of Windows app updates rolling out to Windows Insiders for Windows 11, Windows Insider Blog (2021)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/08/12/first-set-of-windows-app-updates-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders-for-windows-11/)
3. [Snipping Tool Support in Windows Vista, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/tablet/snipping-tool-support-in-windows-vista)
4. [Download SnippingTool.exe, Microsoft Q&A](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3197656/download-snippingtool-exe)
5. [How to use Windows Snipping Tool, Microsoft Windows Learning Center](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-use-snipping-tool-on-windows-screenshots-shortcuts-and-screen-recordings)
6. [Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27898 (Canary Channel), Windows Insider Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/07/11/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-27898-canary-channel/)
7. [New updates for Snipping Tool and Phone Link begin rolling out to Windows Insiders, Windows Insider Blog (2023)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/09/14/new-updates-for-snipping-tool-and-phone-link-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/)
8. [Introducing a big update to Windows 11, Windows Experience Blog (2023)](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/02/28/introducing-a-big-update-to-windows-11-making-the-everyday-easier-including-bringing-the-new-ai-powered-bing-to-the-taskbar/)
9. [The most personal Windows 11 experience begins rolling out today, Windows Experience Blog (2023)](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/09/26/the-most-personal-windows-11-experience-begins-rolling-out-today/)
10. [Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5751 (Dev Channel), Windows Insider Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/08/15/announcing-windows-11-insider-preview-build-26200-5751dev-channel/)
11. [Microsoft fixes Acropalypse privacy bug in Windows 11 Snipping Tool, BleepingComputer (2023)](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-acropalypse-privacy-bug-in-windows-11-snipping-tool/)
12. [Reimagining the apps included with Windows 11, Windows Insider Blog (2022)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2022/05/10/reimagining-the-apps-included-with-windows-11/)
13. [Text extractor in Snipping Tool begins rolling out to Windows Insiders, Windows Insider Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/04/15/text-extractor-in-snipping-tool-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/)
14. [Windows 11 is the home for AI on the PC, Windows Experience Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/07/22/windows-11-is-the-home-for-ai-on-the-pc-with-even-more-experiences-available-today/)
15. [Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad app updates begin rolling out to Windows Insiders, Windows Insider Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/09/17/paint-snipping-tool-and-notepad-app-updates-begin-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/)
16. [GIF export in Snipping Tool begins rolling out to Windows Insiders, Windows Insider Blog (2025)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/06/19/gif-export-in-snipping-tool-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/)
17. [Launch Snipping Tool, Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/launch/launch-snipping-tool)
18. ["Acropalypse" Android screenshot bug turns into a 0-day Windows vulnerability, Ars Technica (2023)](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/03/windows-10-and-11-get-their-own-version-of-the-acropalypse-screenshot-bug/)
19. [The Snipping Tool quietly became the only screenshot app I keep installed on Windows 11, TweakTown (2026)](https://www.tweaktown.com/guides/11466/the-snipping-tool-quietly-became-the-only-screenshot-app-i-keep-installed-on-windows-11/index.html)
20. [Free Screenshot Apps for Windows 11: Snipping Tool, ShareX and Greenshot Compared, iTechGuides](https://www.itechguides.com/free-screenshot-apps-for-windows-11-snipping-tool-sharex-and-greenshot-compared/)
21. [Our commitment to Windows quality, Windows Insider Blog (2026)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/03/20/our-commitment-to-windows-quality/)
22. [Windows quality update: Progress we've made since March, Windows Insider Blog (2026)](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/05/01/windows-quality-update-progress-weve-made-since-march/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Software and programming › Operating systems*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license