How to Use Snipping Tool Screen Recording on Windows 11

The Snipping Tool has a known track record for helping millions of Windows users screenshot their desktop screens. Simply press Win+Shift+S and a crisp picture of your current screen will be successfully captured. But does Snipping Tool record video? Yes! The Snipping Tool screen recording feature is surprisingly added to the operating system, shooting new blood to the old-school snipping tool. Although problems are quite a few, from the failure of 'Snipping Tool audio recording' to frequent crashes and freeze, the Snipping Tool still ranks as one of the best options for those who don’t have a handy screen recorder.

This page will directly show you how to leverage this new feature. 

Snipping Tool Video Recording on Windows 11 - Tutorial

Some of you may fail to switch to the recording mode of Snipping Tool since you didn’t notice the ‘recording’ button on the interface of your Snipping Tool. And this problem may cause them to believe that the recording feature is still on Windows’ Dev Channel. Well, that’s your un-updated Windows 11 that should be blamed. Just take 3 minutes, move to the newest Windows 11 and everything is automatically fixed.

Now, let’s see a tutorial for how to use the Snipping Tool Windows 11 to capture the screen.

Step 1. Search the Snipping Tool from your ‘Start Menu’.

Step 2. Click on the first result.

Step 3. You can see the newly-added ‘record’ option on the popping-out window. Switch to the new option and then hit the ‘New’ button.

Step 4. Now you can outline the area you want to later record on. Once everything is ready, hit the ‘Start’ button and after the 3 seconds countdown your recording begins. Include what you want (YouTube videos, TikTok web version, Twitch live streams, etc) to record in the area and everything will be captured successfully.

Step 5. Hit the red rectangle button to stop recording. Now you can decide where to store your footage.  

Notice 1: Your recording file is saved in MP4 format, which is pretty convenient to transmit to other platforms. But if you wish to save it as AVI or GIF, the Snipping Tool cannot do that for you.

Notice 2: Temporarily, Snipping Tool audio recording is not supported, which means you cannot capture the system sound on your PC including the music you played or the videos' sounds from major streaming vendors. "Does Snipping Tool record audio?" obviously the answer is negative.

Notice 3: Where do Snipping Tool photos/Videos go? After a recording or screenshot, you can preview your materials from a 'Thumbnail', that's where you can decide where you'd like to store your footage or screenshots.

The Snipping Tool Video Recording: Common FAQs

As a free program running by Microsoft, it is understandable that the Snipping Tool video recording feature does not offer any stunning function for Windows 11 users. But after the experience of millions of users already tried this tool, problems flock in. And it almost bordered on a deja vu we’ve felt on the Xbox Game Bar recording feature.

In this part, this page will offer you some frequently asked questions and evident disadvantages of this simple recording tool as well as some complaints reflected by Windows 11 users.

1. Does Snipping Tool record audio?

Many users wonder if the Snipping tool record video with audio. Yep, the fatal shortcoming that most users find unacceptable is that the snipping tool screen recording fails to screen record with voice - both microphone sound and system sounds.

This very much stops users who wish to record streaming videos from YouTube, Netflix, or Twitch live streams (it still is unconvinced whether the Snipping Tool manages to capture content-protected videos or not).

2. How long can snipping tool record video? 

How long can snipping tool record video? The Snipping Tool does not limit the video length, which means theoretically you can record a 24-hour-long video. Yet the reality is cruel - given that the Snipping Tool does not equip with any file compression technology, the video it produces will be super large! And the longer you record, the higher risk of a sudden crash.

3. Will the Snipping Tool record video in high quality?

The video obtained from the Snipping Tool seems to fail to deliver a crisper video whose resolution excels 1080p. And 2k or 4k and ultra 4k are never going to be reached too. Yet the smoothness is flawless though.

4. Which video format will the snipping tool save in?

The Snipping Tool only outputs your recordings in MP4 format. If you are in need of a particular format like AVI, then you may be reduced to seeking help from some 3rd party format converters.

Best Free Snipping Tool Alternative to Record Video with Audio

Since the Snipping tool still has several limits and fails to record video with audio. You can use the best free snipping tool alternative to record screen video with audio. As one of the most popular solutions to and best Snipping Tool alternative to capture video with audio on Windows 10, and Windows 11. iTop Screen Recorder avoids all the flaws mentioned in the last section respectively:

1. Easily record system sound & microphone sound

2. Record quality clips for 3A gameplay or streaming videos

3. Stable performance with no lag

4. Little burden to your system thanks to the hardware acceleration technology

5. 1080p screen recorder that records without quality loss

This SnippingTool alternative screen recorder delivers the best performance in free recording in Windows 11 OS. It provides the best parameters that could be obtained from the market. Besides, you can easily find some extra features appended with this software to make your videos way better than created from the Snipping Tool.

1. The noise reduction function for improving the audio in your YouTube footage.

2. The video editor for adding texts, captions, and filters into your videos.

3.  The built-in screenshot feature allows you to capture your screen with the hotkey (F11).

4. The powerful screen recorder manages to record protected content: for example, it can record Zoom meeting.

How to Record Video with Audio on Windows 11 with iTop Screen Recorder

Audio recording, quality 4k clips, iTop Screen Recorder is a much better alternative freeware for the Snipping Tool screen recording feature in Windows 11.

The integrity of a video editor, a screen recorder, and a screenshot tool, although demands some download and installation, the process is quick and 100% green. It is so far one of the best recorders this market has ever seen and please feel free to try it. Now, let’s see how to use this free screen recorder to fast create quality footage like a breeze of the wind!

Step 1. Download iTop Screen Recorder to record your Windows 11 desktop.

Step 2. Hit F9 to start recording. Hit F10 to pause or resume. And hit F9 to stop recording.

This screen recorder allows you to record the entire screen, the selected region, and a designated program (game especially).

Tips: You can redefine the recording area by dragging and moving the rectangle.

Step 3. When the recording is over, you can directly navigate to the file location or enter iTop Video Editor to bring more effects to your videos.

Further Reading: How to Fix Snipping Tool Not Working on Windows 11/10? 

‘The snipping tool not working on your computer right now?’ Due to many causes, the Snipping Tool can go on strike because it is basically a simple default program without constant fixing plans by Microsoft. The screenshot feature and snipping tool screen recording feature will not be available since then. Possible factors that undermine this simple screenshot & screen recording tool can be attributed to other bugs and issues from 3rd party software on your PC.

Here are some common scenarios when your Snipping Tool doesn't work properly:

#1. The Snipping Tool cannot record any audio sound on your Windows 11

"Does Snipping Tool record audio?" According to the announcement of Microsoft's official support page and the experience of the editor, The Snipping Tool does not perform well in terms of recording audio sounds on PC. Snipping tool audio recording is something yet to be added into this free Windows 11 screen recorder. To effortlessly and freely record the system sound on your PC, it is still recommended to use iTop Screen Recorder if you want your clips to be crisp and omit nothing.

#1. The Snipping Tool is blocked by other Applications you installed on the PC

Software including Malware Fighters or Focus Assistants can have terrible interaction with your Snipping Tool. The solution is simple, cancel the focus assist function. And add the Snipping Tool to the safe list of Malware Fighters.

#2. The Hotkey ‘Win+Shift+S’ is occupied

To solve this problem, you can use a Hotkey spy to check what window and process are receiving the Win Hotkey message (in other words, the shortcut orders). Find the overlapped hotkey and change it so you can reactivate the Snipping Tool again.

#3. Corrupted Files or Outdated Version

If you ever tried uninstalling the Snipping Tool and reinstalling it, then some broken files will remain undeleted.

#4. The Incorrect System Date and Time

To solve this problem, just adjust your time and date to the right time point and everything will be okay.

Conclusion

This page is an overall review of the newly added Snipping Tool Video Recording feature on the Windows 11 operating system. If you need a final verdict on whether it is a good recorder on Windows 11 or not, then you can rest assured that it is a functional tool. But when you demand more advanced options, assuming that you wish to edit your videos in depth or capture the screen in ultimate resolution, the Snipping Tool might get you upset. Then you can turn to a screen recorder like iTop Screen Recorder that offers the features for you and it charges no penny! Please feel free to try it.