Microsoft is updating Snipping Tool to bring a proper screen recorder to Windows 11

We've written previously about how the Xbox Game Bar can be used as a screen recorder, but it doesn't work in all circumstances. At its Surface event yesterday, Microsoft quietly let it slip that Windows 11 is getting a proper screen recording tool.

Capturing a screenshot is incredibly simple thanks to the existence of the Print Screen key, but with the arrival of the Snipping Tool, Microsoft expanded the range of options available without the need for additional software. And next, the company is expanding the capabilities of Snipping Tool so that it can be used as a screen recorder, not just a screen capture utility.

See also:

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• Microsoft releases KB5018427 update to address security issues with Windows 11 2022 Update

While Microsoft has not made any sort of official announcement about the upcoming app update, the company gave the game away in a video shown as part of its Surface event. The video -- a still of which can be seen above -- shows the new Snipping Tool complete with a Record button.

This is something that Windows users have been asking for for quite some time now, and the arrival of a screen recording option in one of Windows 11's built-in apps is one that will please many people. Eliminating the need for third-party software, the updated Snipping Tool will soon be able to not only capture still screenshots, but also record video footage of on-screen activity.

There is no word on quite when the app update will roll out, but it is likely that it is going to be in the very near future. While not impossible to rule out, it is unlikely that Microsoft let the cat out of the bag by accident, strongly suggesting that the launch is imminent.