Microsoft Reveals Preview of New Windows 11 Snipping Tool

Panos Panay, head of Microsoft’s Windows & Devices division, released a short video today that offers a glimpse of the new Snipping Tool in Windows 11. The 17-second video teases an updated version of the tool that Panay promises is coming to Windows Insider soon.

Though significant changes haven’t been made to the tool, the video shows that it is no longer a scissor and is, instead, a plus sign. A couple of other minor iconography changes have been made to make sure the new icon is in alignment with the updated Windows theme. These include design changes in the delay and settings icon. The Mode button now also leverages a drop-down menu for more options.

Here is a first look at the new #Windows11 Snipping Tool. Coming to #WindowsInsiders soon! Great work from the team #pumped pic.twitter.com/pvlhKp1Eia

— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) August 4, 2021

Moreover, the updated Snipping Tool also appears to be a combination of the current Snipping Tool and the existing Snip & Sketch Tool. The latter was a tool introduced by the company in Windows 10, and the updated Snipping Tool seems to retain some of its best features.

According to the video, the updated iteration of the Snipping Tool offers some of the basic options the current version of the tool offers. You have the option to start a snip, choose a snip mode, and set the delay. These options aren’t currently available in the Snip & Sketch tool.

The options from Snip & Sketch that are still intact in the new Snipping Tool are the available controls at the top of the tool window for both free-form selection and window selection. It also offers you the option to perform several actions on your snip once it is finished. These include opening it in a Snip & Sketch Window and inking, erasing, or sharing it. You can also see options for changing the snip mode after starting a snip. The editing interface is also exactly the same as Snip & Sketch, as is the rest of the interface.

It’s possible that Microsoft is thinking of getting rid of the two apps by combining them into one. We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on the new Windows toward the end of this year. However, Windows Insiders should be able to check the new tool out in the Windows 11 build that is scheduled for this week.

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