One of the frustrations among Windows 11 users is the lack of functionality to directly copy the text from the screen, especially when text is trapped within an image. Until now, users had to take a screenshot of the screen and then use the Snipping Tool to grab the text. Though this lengthy process of screen capturing, opening the Snipping Tool, and using the “Text Actions” button was quite an annoyance, it still was a good alternative to manually typing the text.
Fortunately, Windows 11 is getting rid of this nuisance, thanks to the new feature of the Snipping Tool, users can now directly copy text from the screen, without grabbing a screenshot. As per a tweet from a reliable Windows insider, @Phantomofearth, the Snipping Tool is getting an advanced fullscreen OCR (Optical Character Recognition) text extractor. For reference, OCR is a technology that enables computers to read text from images, and it is essential for converting text images into text data.
As you see from the given video, the Snipping Tool lets you copy the text directly without having to do a screen capture. Back in November 2024, Windows added a keyboard shortcut for the Snipping Tool’s OCR feature; Win + Shift + T, and users can use it to utilize this new feature.
Snipping Tool is getting a fullscreen OCR text extractor that's essentially the PowerToys tool, inbox – making use of the better OCR models used by Snipping Tool! Here's a demo.
— phantomofearth ⛄ (@phantomofearth) February 20, 2025
Lets you copy text without having to take a screenshot to do so, Win+Shift+T will also be available. pic.twitter.com/zWteElK725
It is important to note that this feature isn’t new entirely as it is already a PowerToy tool. Since the Snipping Tool is pre-installed with Windows 11, users won’t need to have an extra utility to enhance their productivity.
