Enhanced Snipping Tool & Photos App Coming to Windows 11

Windows 11 is set to elevate its user experience with major upgrades to the Snipping Tool and Photos app. Notably, the Snipping Tool will soon let users extract text directly from screenshots. Meanwhile, the Photos app will introduce features such as background blurring.

This update was revealed by members of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft’s official community for beta testers. Windows Insiders have already had a sneak peek at these enhancements in the Canary and Dev Channels of the program, as reported by The Verge.

Revamped Snipping Tool in Windows 11

The Snipping Tool’s latest version will introduce ‘Text Actions’, streamlining the process of copying, pasting, or sharing text directly from screenshots. Users can also redact sensitive information within the screenshot using the ‘Quick Redact’ feature. Additionally, the tool will integrate with Windows 11’s Phone Link feature, allowing seamless editing of recent photos from Android devices.

Photos App Gets a Makeover

Responding to user feedback, Microsoft is refining the Photos app. A standout feature is the ‘Background Blur’ option, which automatically blurs photo backgrounds. Users can also adjust the blur intensity and select specific areas to blur. Another innovative addition is the ‘Content Search’ for photos backed up on OneDrive, enabling users to search photos based on content and location, including from iCloud.

Video Editor in the Mix?

While these updates are eagerly anticipated, there’s been recent debate about changes to the Windows 10 Photos app, especially the removal of the Video Editor feature. However, a hint suggests that video editing options might be more accessible in the Windows 11 Photos app. The exact nature of these changes remains to be seen as testers explore the new features.

(Image credit: Microsoft)