Snipping Tool can extract text from images on Windows 11

• Snipping Tool update for Insiders get text extractor feature on Windows 11.
• The app also adds the option to record voice with a microphone for video recordings.

Microsoft rolls out an updated version of its Snipping Tool app for devices enrolled in the Dev and Canary Channels of the Windows Insider Program with a few noticeable improvements for recording, new keyboard shortcuts, sound recording, and the ability to extract text from images.

Starting with version 11.2307.44.0, the Snipping Tool rolls out a combined capture bar to make it easier to switch between capturing screenshots and screen recordings without opening the app, using the “Print Screen” or “Windows key + Shift + S” keyboard shortcuts. In addition, the update brings a new “Windows key + Shift + R” keyboard shortcut to open the capture bar for recording directly.

As part of the new update, the app has received improvements for video recording, and it’s now possible to record voice using a microphone, in addition to recording system sounds. If you have multiple input devices, you must choose the microphone you want to use from the app’s settings page.

As previously rumored, one of the most significant changes is the addition of OCR (optical character recognition) technology to enable the ability to extract text from images to the clipboard. This is part of the new “Text actions” feature and is powered by AI. It’s said that Text actions will get more features in the future.

While text extraction is a new feature for the Snipping Tool, a similar capability has been available on other apps, such as OneNote, for a long time, and PowerToys also has a “Text Extractor” tool to perform the same action.

It’s unclear when these new features will be available for everyone, but it’s expected that the update will be part of the Windows 11 23H2 bundle.