Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool is a Microsoft Windows screenshot utility included in Windows Vista and later. It can take still screenshots of an open window, rectangular areas, a free-form area, or the entire screen. Snips can then be annotated using a mouse or a tablet, stored as an image file (PNG, GIF, or JPEG file) or an MHTML file, or e-mailed. The Snipping Tool allows for basic image editing of the snapshot, with different colored pens, an eraser, and a highlighter.

History
Before Windows Vista, the Snipping Tool, originally known as the Clipping Tool, was included in the Experience Pack for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. It was originally released as a PowerToy for the Microsoft Tablet PC launch on November 7, 2002.

In Windows 10 version 1809, a new Universal app version of Snipping Tool known as Snip & Sketch was introduced. It was first named Screen Sketch, and was initially a component of the Windows Ink Workspace. Snipping Tool was modified to contain a notice warning of the application's deprecation, which encouraged users to move to Snip & Sketch. Despite this, the app was never removed from Windows 10.

In April 2021, Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider build 21354, which made the Snipping Tool updateable from the Microsoft Store by being packaged with Snip & Sketch.

Windows 11 insider build 22000.132, released on August 12, 2021, introduced an update to Snip & Sketch that renames it to Snipping Tool and ports it to WinUI 3.0 and brings an interface closer to the legacy Snipping Tool. The legacy snipping tool was removed with this build. Since the update on March 14, 2023, Snipping Tool has another function; you can make screen recordings.