Microsoft is rolling out updated versions of the Snipping Tool and Notepad apps to Windows 11 Insiders running Dev and Canary builds. The Snipping Tool update introduces the Draw & Hold feature in the Snipping Tool, allowing users to convert freehand drawings into precise geometric shapes by holding the pen or cursor before releasing. The tool also supports a new ms-screenclip protocol that allows integration of Snipping Tool features into external applications. Notepad now includes an AI-powered Summarize feature to generate brief summaries of selected text. Additionally, Notepad adds a Recent Files section in the File menu.
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Snipping Tool version 11.2502.18.0+
Draw & Hold
This update brings with it the Draw & Hold feature, which lets you turn your cursor or pen strokes into neat lines and shapes. To try it out, open the Snipping Tool app and take a screenshot of any part of your screen. If the image doesn’t open automatically, tap the pop-up notification in the lower right corner.
After that, select the Pen tool and draw a line, arrow, rectangle or oval over the image. Before releasing the mouse button or removing the pen, wait a moment for your freehand sketch to transform into a clear geometric shape. Now you can adjust the size and position of the shape.
See the video:
Launch via protocol
The Snipping Tool now supports improved protocol execution. Developers of applications that call the application can now determine what features will be available to users. The new protocol is designed to be flexible, secure, and easy to use, and works just like the familiar HTTP. It will be much easier for developers to integrate the new protocol into their products.
Protocol Specification
URI Scheme: {scheme}://{host}/{path}?{query}
- Scheme:
ms-screenclip- The custom scheme for Snipping Tool's protocol. - Host: Defines the Snipping Tool operation to perform (
capturefor snipping and recording,discoverfor querying capabilities). - Path: Specifies the media type to capture, such as an image (
/image) or video (/video). - Query: Parameters for the specified schema.
Example:
ms-screenclip://capture/image?rectangle
More in the official documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop/launch/launch-snipping-tool.
Notepad version 11.2501.29.0+
Summarize (AI-powered)
You can now create a short summary of text in Notepad using generative AI. To do this, select the desired text, right-click and select Summarize from the Copilot submenu or use the CTRL + M shortcut. Notepad will quickly generate a summary of the selected text, which is a convenient way to reduce the amount of content. You can experiment with the length of the resulting text to get the most accurate result.
To use the Summarize feature, you must sign in with a Microsoft account. Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Copilot Pro subscribers will be able to use AI Credits to use this feature.
You can disable AI features in the Notepad app settings.
Recent files
Added the ability to quickly open recently closed files directly from Notepad. To do this, open the File menu and go to the Recent Files section. In the list, you will find recently used documents. Click on any file to instantly open it and continue editing.
You can clear the list of recent files at any time or disable the feature completely in the Notepad app settings.
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