Snipping Tool 2022.2607.23.0 for Windows

Snipping Tool 2022.2607.23.0 for Windows is the current version of the screenshot utility built into Microsoft Windows. It is free and usually already on your PC; if it is missing, you can download it again from the Microsoft Store. Here are the quick facts and a practical guide.

Quick facts

What Snipping Tool is for

Snipping Tool captures what is on your screen. You can grab a rectangle, a free-form area, a single window or the whole screen, then mark it up with a pen or highlighter, crop it and save or paste it wherever you need. It is the quickest way to share an error message with support, clip a part of a web page, or save a receipt. The tool has been part of Windows since the Vista era, and in Windows 11 it is updated through the Microsoft Store like a normal app, so improvements arrive without waiting for a big system update. Because it comes with the system, there is nothing to set up: open it, snip and share.

How to open it

1. Press the Windows key, type Snipping Tool and open it, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows + Shift + S for a quick snip.
2. Choose the snip mode at the top of the window.
3. Select the area; the capture appears in the editor.
4. Annotate if needed, then save or copy the image.

Microsoft's help page shows how to open Snipping Tool and take a screenshot.

If it is missing or broken

Reinstall it from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft explains the steps in uninstall and reinstall Paint and Snipping Tool. Avoid "Snipping Tool download" sites offering EXE files; the real app comes only from Microsoft.

Tips

• Pin the app to the taskbar if you take screenshots often.
• Add a short delay before capture to include menus that close on click.
• Blur or crop personal details before sharing a screenshot.

Where screenshots go

By default the capture is copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it straight into an email, a chat or a document. Save it as a file when you need to keep it, and pick a clear folder and name so you can find it later. Clean out old captures now and then; they add up quickly.

Pros and cons

• Pro: built into Windows and free.
• Pro: fast keyboard shortcut.
• Pro: simple markup tools.
• Con: fewer editing features than dedicated editors.
• Con: updates depend on the Microsoft Store.

Requirements

Snipping Tool runs on the Windows versions it ships with; the current app targets Windows 11, whose own specifications apply.

Alternatives

Other imaging tools for Windows in our listings: Paint for quick edits of a capture, PicWish for background removal and GIMP for full photo editing.