Screen recording is usually available on mobile phones when they want to record what’s happening on their devices, and it is a handy tool for many individuals. Whether you are working on a project, demonstrating a new feature, or simply sharing a video with friends or colleagues, screen recording is beneficial.
There are different third-party applications that you can use for this feature on your Windows device, some are free, and some are not. Instead of downloading external applications and risking your device from viruses, did you know that a built-in application on your Windows can do the trick?
Introducing, the Snipping Tool. This tool was used before to screenshot or capture a certain portion on your screens and save it as an image. The tool typically includes various modes, including rectangular, free-form, full-screen, and window modes, which enable users to select the portion of the screen they want to capture.
The Snipping Tool on Windows 11 recently upgraded, transforming it from a basic screen capture tool into a more advanced utility. With its latest features, the Snipping Tool now can record any screen activity and save it as an MP4 video file.
Why Snipping Tool/Screen Recording is an Essential Tool
Before we get into how to use snipping tool on Windows 11, let’s first dive into why this tool is a must-have.
Snipping tool on Windows 11 is important for a lot of reasons. One example is demonstrating software issues or troubleshooting. The snipping tool is a great way to show a technical support team the issues you are experiencing with your software or system. It can help them diagnose and solve problems more effectively.
Another one is sharing tutorials or presentations. Suppose you need to create a tutorial or presentation to share with others. In that case, snipping tool allows you to capture everything that’s happening on your screen, including mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes.
One important reason is also capturing gameplay footage. For those who love gaming, screen recording is an essential tool to capture gameplay footage for creating videos or streaming on platforms like Twitch or YouTube.
Recording online meetings is also one essential advantage of screen recording. Screen recording is very useful for recording online meetings or webinars, so that you can refer back to them later or share them with others who couldn’t attend.
How to Screen Record Using the Snipping Tool on Windows 11
To start recording using the Snipping Tool on your Windows 11 device, click on the windows icon and search for “Snipping Tool” on the search bar and select the one that appeared on the “Best Match”.
There are two options in the Snipping Tool. Choose the record option to use its screen record feature.
Then, click on the “New” button, and this will prompt you to select an area in which you want to record. The area that you will select is the only portion that will be recorded and not your whole screen.
Once the area is selected, press the “Start” Button to proceed with the recording. Once you are done with your recording, you can now press the “Stop” button to stop your recording.
After this, you can now review your recording and click the save button.
After saving, you will now have a .mp4 file containing the session that you have recorded. You can now watch the video of your screen recording session and review what you have recorded.
Limitations of Snipping Tool
Since using Snipping Tool for screen recording is relatively new, there are some limitations to this application.
Firstly, it only allows you to select a specific section on your screen and does not have the option for free-form, rectangular, or windowed mode recordings. Additionally, there is also no way to set a specific time for the recording to begin. Instead, it automatically starts recording after a three-second countdown.
Another limitation of the Snipping Tool is that there is no shortcut key to automatically open the screen recording option for the snipping tool, you must open the tool each time you want to use it.
Lastly, the Snipping Tool recording feature cannot add annotations or borders to video recordings, which can make it difficult to distinguish captured videos from a white background without edges.
These are actually just minor limitations that we hope Microsoft addresses in future updates to the Snipping Tool to make the application more advanced for content creation.
Related: How to Use the PC Manager App on Windows 11
Bonus: Screen Record Using Xbox Game Bar
There is another way to screen record on your Windows Device, this is by using Xbox Game Bar. This is mostly used by gamers who want to record their gameplay to create videos to be shared on their social media pages.
One way to open the “Xbox Game Bar” is by pressing the Windows key + G on your keyboard. Another way is to click the “Windows” icon and search for “Xbox Game Bar” and select the first option that will appear.
To start recording, click on the “Capture” icon in the Xbox Game Bar, which looks like a circle with a dot in the middle. Click on the “Record” button to start recording your screen.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Windows key + Alt + R” to start and stop recording. To stop recording, click on the “Stop” button in the Xbox Game Bar or use the keyboard shortcut “Windows key + Alt + R” again.
Your screen recording will be saved in the “Videos/Captures” folder in your user account’s “This PC” folder
Related: How to Fit Screen Monitor to Windows 11
Overall, screen recording is an important tool for anyone who needs to capture what’s happening on their screen for any reason. It’s a convenient way to communicate issues, ideas, and information, and it can save a lot of time and effort compared to other methods of capturing and sharing this type of content.
Hopefully, this post has helped you finally use screen recording on your computers. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment on the comment section down below.
