In a recent update shared on the Windows Insider blog, Microsoft has unveiled that it is currently testing an enhanced version of the Snipping Tool for Windows 11. This new iteration, identified as version 11.2503.27.0, introduces a built-in Text Extraction feature, now accessible to users in both the Canary and Dev Channels.
Streamlined Text Extraction
The Text Extraction functionality employs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to seamlessly convert images into editable text. This means that instead of manually transcribing lengthy paragraphs or documents, users can rely on the Snipping Tool to perform this task with remarkable speed—almost instantaneously.
While the Snipping Tool has previously included a Text Extraction feature, it required users to first capture a screenshot and then edit that screenshot within the tool to access the text extraction capabilities. With the latest update, this process has been simplified significantly.
Now, users can directly access Text Extraction from the capture bar, enabling them to select any portion of their screen and instantly copy the text to their clipboard. Additionally, there are options available to customize the output, such as automatically removing line breaks from the extracted text.
This enhancement is poised to streamline workflows, eliminating the cumbersome steps of creating a screenshot file and subsequently editing it within the Snipping Tool. For those who have been utilizing the text extraction feature in PowerToys, this new functionality may render that tool redundant once it becomes available in the stable version of Windows. The timeline for this release, however, remains uncertain.
Microsoft
