How to Record Your Screen with Snipping Tool in Windows 11

Prerequisites

You need Windows 11 and a recent version of Snipping Tool to use this feature. Screen recording arrived in app version 11.2211.35.0, so that version or anything newer will work. Windows 10 does not support it.

To check your version, open Snipping Tool, click the See more (three dots) button, choose Settings and look in the About section. To update, open the Microsoft Store, go to Library and click Get updates. Snipping Tool updates through the Store, not through Windows Update. If your PC was offline for a while, you may need to update before the record option shows up.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts make capturing faster. The table below lists the keys for the tool. In recent versions of the app you can also press Win+Shift+R to go straight to screen recording. If that shortcut does nothing on your PC, update the app and try again.

How to Record Your Screen

1. Open the Snipping Tool app from your Start menu⊞. Click Start, type Snipping Tool and press Enter. The small Snipping Tool window appears.
2. Click the Record icon on the menu bar. It looks like a video camera. The tool switches from screenshot mode to video mode.
3. Click the New button. Your screen dims, which tells you the tool is ready for you to choose an area.
4. Use your mouse to drag and select the area of your screen you want to capture. When you release the button, a box outlines the area and a Start button appears. Only what is inside that box is recorded, so make it a little larger than the window you want to show.

5. Click the Start button to begin recording. A short countdown runs first, then recording begins. Anything that moves inside the box is captured, so close notifications and private windows beforehand. In newer versions you can also turn the microphone or system audio on or off before you start.

6. When finished, click the red Stop recording button. The recording opens in a preview window where you can play it back and trim it. Save it as an MP4 file when you are happy with it. If you don’t like the result, close the preview without saving and record again.

You can use Snipping Tool screen recording in Windows 11 to capture video without installing any extra software. Open the app from your Start menu, switch to video mode, select the area you want to capture, and click start. Your computer records everything inside the box until you click stop.

The whole job takes six steps, and the recording is ready to trim and save as soon as you stop.

Troubleshooting and Settings

Why is the video recording option missing?

Missing record buttons point to an outdated app version. Follow these steps to fix it:

1. Open the Microsoft Store.
2. Click Library in the left pane.
3. Click Get updates to fetch the latest version of the Snipping Tool.
4. Close Snipping Tool if it was open, then start it again. The Record icon should now appear on the menu bar.

If Snipping Tool does not show up in the update list, you may be on a PC where the Store is blocked, such as a work or school computer. Ask your administrator to update it.

Microphone Permissions

Silent recordings usually mean a privacy permission is blocking the microphone. Check it like this:

1. Go to Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone.
2. Make sure Microphone access is turned On.
3. Scroll down the list of apps and check that Snipping Tool is allowed to use the microphone.
4. Record a short test clip and play it back to confirm the sound is captured.

Summary

• The Snipping Tool is a powerful Windows 11 screen recorder that requires no extra software. It records the area you select, not the whole desktop by default.
• Always ensure your app is updated via the Microsoft Store to access the latest features. A missing Record icon almost always means an old version.
• Videos are saved as MP4 files in your user videos folder by default. You can trim them in the app before you save.
• Check your microphone permissions if you intend to record voice-over audio. A silent clip is usually a permissions problem, not a broken recording.

Snipping Tool screen recording saves your captured videos as MP4 files in your default videos folder automatically. You do not need third-party apps, but you should check that your app is up to date through the Microsoft Store and that your microphone permissions are turned on if you want to record voice audio.