Starting with build 11.2211.35.0, Windows 11 dev channel insiders will see a screen recording function in the Snipping Tool app. The feature lets users record all or part of the screen to make video clips of anything they do in the operating system. When users open the Snipping Tool, they should see the “record” tab next to the “snip” option at the top of the window. Users who don’t want to record the entire screen can highlight and refine the selection of the screen they want to capture before starting the recording. Users can also preview their clips before saving and sharing them. Of course, insiders should expect some bugs with this early release. The window might be sluggish or fail to restore when starting a new clip, but Microsoft is already aware of these issues and is working on solutions. Users can send feedback by opening the Feedback Hub with WIN + F and navigating to Apps > Snipping Tool.
Many will likely welcome Microsoft’s decision to add a screen-recording tool native to Windows. Until now, Windows users have had to record their screens with third-party apps like CamStudio or Camtasia Studio. The closest thing to a Microsoft-built option has been the Xbox Game Bar which works across the OS but was primarily designed to record games. The new function in Snipping Tool is likely better suited to recording other actions for instructional videos or other presentations. Since introducing the modern form of Windows’s screenshot functionality four years ago, Microsoft has continually updated and reorganized it. Last year it consolidated the Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch apps into one. Updates like these are good for existing Windows 11 users, but Microsoft’s latest operating system is still struggling to increase its adoption rate. Recent surveys pin its reach at 15 to 25 percent of worldwide users. Windows 11 managed a noticeable increase in user share in the November 2022 Steam survey, but its growth is far slower than Windows 10’s.
