Windows 11 is finally getting a built-in screen recording tool

Microsoft is finally bringing a built-in screen recorder to Windows. The Snipping Tool in Windows 11 will soon be updated to include screen recording, meaning Windows users won’t have to rely on the Xbox Game Bar or third-party tools just to record their screens.

Windows 11 testers will start getting access to the updated Snipping Tool today, and the new record option will allow you to record an entire screen or even a section that gets cropped. The update comes more than four years after Microsoft first introduced a new screenshot experience for Windows.

“We know that Snipping Tool is a favorite among the Insider community, so we are very excited to introduce a built-in screen recorder with this update!” explains Dave Grochocki, principal product manager lead for Windows inbox apps. “Snipping Tool has always made it quick and easy to capture and share content from your PC, and with screen recording built-in, we are expanding these capabilities to even more types of content.”

The region selection feature will make it useful for those who just want to capture an app instead of their entire display. The Xbox Game Bar has been good at just recording individual apps, but there’s far less control over exactly what you’re recording there.

Microsoft has only just started testing this with Windows 11 testers in the Dev Channel, so it’s likely some weeks or months before this Snipping Tool is released to everyone using Windows 11. Still, it’s great news that Windows will finally have a built-in screen recorder.