Using the Snipping Tool to Record Your Screen on Windows 11
Honestly, I never paid much attention to the Snipping Tool beyond snapping static screenshots, but I recently discovered it can now record your screen — no need for extra software. It’s pretty wild, considering it’s been built into Windows 11 for a while but kind of tucked away. Took me a bit of digging to realise it’s actually capable of quick recordings, perfect for short demos or tutorials when you don’t want to fire up something like OBS or another heavy-duty app.
How to Access the Snipping Tool and Start Recording
First up, open the Snipping Tool — just search for it in the Start menu search box. It’s been part of Windows 11 for a good while now, but many people overlook its newer features because they’re so used to the basic snipping functions. When you launch it, the interface looks familiar with a few new buttons.
To get into recording mode, look for the ‘Record’ button. If it’s not obvious, don’t worry — sometimes it’s just a matter of updating Windows or the app via the Microsoft Store. After updating, you’ll see toggles like “Record audio” or “Show mouse clicks”. These are handy if you want viewers to see your cursor movements or hear system sounds during playback.
Once ready, click the ‘New’ button. It’ll let you drag a rectangle over the part of the screen you want to record — similar to snipping, but this time it’s recording rather than just taking a snapshot. The interface is kept simple and clean, which makes capturing your footage straightforward without a bunch of extra clutter.
The Actual Recording: What to Expect
After selecting your area, there’s usually a brief countdown — about 3 seconds — giving you time to prepare. During this countdown, you might see a small overlay with controls, kind of like a mini toolbar similar to the Xbox Game Bar interface. It’s handy because it’s where you can pause or stop the recording.
Once the countdown hits zero, it begins recording everything within that rectangle. Whether it’s a tutorial, demo, gameplay – whatever you’re into. When you’re done, hit the Stop button — often a tiny icon on the overlay or a floating control panel. Sometimes I forget which is which, so a quick check helps if it’s not responding right away.
The recording is then saved automatically — either copied to your clipboard if you choose, or more typically, saved to your Videos folder at C:\Users\YourUsername\Videos. You can also select a different save location by clicking the Save icon, which is pretty straightforward. Files are typically MP4s, with no fancy export options, making it quick and simple.
What to Do With Your Video After Recording
The default save location is your Videos folder, but if you prefer another spot, just click the floppy disk icon — it’s right there. No complicated save dialogs or format fussing. Keep in mind, this tool isn’t meant to replace professional editing software, but if you want to do a quick trim or add some annotations, you can open the clip in Microsoft Clipchamp (which now comes with Windows 11). It’s user-friendly and includes basic editing features — perfect for trimming, overlaying notes, or adding audio.
Heads up: there’s no dedicated hotkey for starting the recording directly — unlike the snipping shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S. You’ll need to open the app and navigate through the menu each time, which might feel a bit clunky if you’re used to quick shortcuts. Hopefully, they’ll add that feature someday.
Limitations, Tips, and Other Notes
This feature mainly outputs MP4 files, with no options for MOV or AVI formats. Not a big deal for casual users, but if you need more flexible formats, it might not be your best bet. Also, since this feature is tucked away, it took me a while to find it — it’s not front and centre. Usually, it’s in the same interface but hidden behind some settings.
For quick demos or short gameplay clips without installing anything extra, it’s pretty handy. Just remember, it’s not suitable for high-quality, long-form recordings. It’s more of a snapshot tool for quick captures.
Final Tips Before You Get Started
It’s great to see Windows 11 offering more native tools, but honestly, it could be more user-friendly. The absence of a hotkey for instant recording is a bit of a letdown. Overall, for casual recording tasks, the Snipping Tool’s new screen recording feature is surprisingly capable. After finishing your clip, you can easily import it into Clipchamp for further editing if needed.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, double-check your Windows version (older builds might lack this feature), update the app via the Microsoft Store, and keep your system up to date. Sometimes, these features can be a bit flaky out of the box, but a few updates usually fix that.
Hope this helps — it took me ages to figure out, and I kept trialling different options. Quick tip: check for updates, open the Snipping Tool, and poke around for the recording settings. If you’re doing a quick demo, it’s much easier than messing about with third-party software. Hopefully, this saves someone else a weekend of frustration.