The Text Actions feature in Snipping Tool lets you extract text from screenshots. Here's how to use it:
Requirements:
- Windows 11: This feature is only available in Snipping Tool versions 11.2308.33.0 and higher, which might be on Windows 11 Insider builds.
Steps:
Take a screenshot: Use Snipping Tool to capture the area you want. You can use the built-in snipping options or the keyboard shortcuts (Windows Key + Shift + S for a rectangular snip, Print Screen for a full screen capture).
Open the screenshot in Snipping Tool: After capturing the screenshot, it will automatically open in the Snipping Tool window.
Click the Text Actions button: This button looks like an "Aa" with a box around it. It's located in the top menu bar of the Snipping Tool window.
Extract the text: Snipping Tool will use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to identify the text in your screenshot. You can then:
- Copy all text: Click the "Copy All Text" button to copy all the recognized text to your clipboard.
- Copy specific text: Click and drag your mouse to select a specific portion of the text you want to copy. Then, right-click and choose "Copy" or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + C).
Additional features:
- Quick Redact: This option helps hide sensitive information like email addresses or phone numbers before copying all the text. Click "Text Actions" then "Quick Redact" to hide this information.
Tips:
- Text Actions work best with clear and well-lit screenshots.
- If the Text Actions button is missing in your Snipping Tool, you might need to update it to a newer version.
For more information, you can search online for "Snipping Tool Text Actions".