Microsoft has unveiled an exciting enhancement to its Snipping Tool, a utility that has long been a staple for Windows users. The latest update introduces the ability to export animated GIF recordings, a feature that is currently being rolled out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, provided they have updated to version 11.2505.21.0.
New GIF Export Feature
Dave Grochocki, Principal Product Manager Lead at Microsoft, shared insights on this new capability, stating, “In this update, we are adding GIF export for screen recordings – designed to boost your productivity and turn quick captures into shareable moments.” This feature allows users to create GIFs from their screen recordings, although it comes with a limitation: videos longer than 30 seconds will be truncated to the first 30 seconds for GIF export.
To create a GIF, users can easily access the Snipping Tool’s screen recorder by pressing Win + Shift + R or by launching the app and switching to screen recording mode. After recording, users can click the ‘Export GIF’ button located at the top of the toolbar. They will then have the option to select between low GIF quality for smaller file sizes or high quality for clearer recordings, with the ability to copy the GIF directly to the clipboard or save it to their hard drive.
In addition to the GIF export feature, Microsoft has been actively enhancing the Snipping Tool with other innovative functionalities. Last month, the company began testing an AI-powered ‘perfect screenshot’ tool designed to capture screen content accurately, minimizing the need for cropping. Grochocki noted, “Once activated, perfect screenshot will intelligently resize based on the content in your selection.” Users can quickly enable this feature by holding the Ctrl key while selecting a region of their screen.
Earlier this year, the Snipping Tool also received a Text Extractor feature, allowing users to copy text directly to the clipboard without taking a screenshot. Furthermore, a draw & hold feature was introduced to facilitate drawing straight lines and shapes, along with a trim capability to adjust the start and end times of screen recordings, ensuring that users can eliminate any unnecessary segments from their videos.
