How to record part of your screen with Snipping Tool in Windows 11

Need to show someone exactly what happened on your PC? A screenshot can miss the sequence. On Windows 11, Snipping Tool can record a selected area of your screen, then let you preview and save the clip. It suits a short walkthrough or a repeatable bug report. Frame the app and the controls that matter, and keep them inside the selected area while you record.

This guide follows Windows 11 and Snipping Tool features Microsoft had documented by 1 December 2024. Microsoft introduced screen recording in Snipping Tool in 2023, then added options for PC audio and microphone input. The exact audio controls can vary by app version and device, so make a short test if sound matters. See Microsoft's February 2023 Windows 11 update and its September 2023 feature rollout . A Snipping Tool update for Windows Insiders in August 2023 documented the recording shortcut and audio settings.

Before you start recording

Decide what the viewer needs to see. If you are showing a setting, include the app name and the relevant menu; if you are reporting a bug, include the action that causes it and the result. A smaller capture area keeps unrelated desktop details out of the video.

Close private messages, password managers and other windows you do not want in the clip. A notification can also appear over the desktop while recording, so pause before you begin and clear anything sensitive from view.

If sound matters, decide whether you need audio from the PC, your microphone, or both. PC audio can include the app's sound; the microphone captures your narration. The controls are optional, and a recording can be useful without either source. Make a five-second sample and play it back before recording a longer explanation.

Record a selected part of your screen

1. Open Start, search for Snipping Tool, and launch it. If you already have the updated capture bar, Windows key + Shift + R opens the recording selector. Otherwise, choose Record in Snipping Tool.
2. Choose New. Drag a rectangle around the part of the screen you want people to see. Leave enough room for menus or status messages that matter, but keep unrelated content outside the frame.
3. Check the audio controls if you need sound. Choose the PC audio or microphone options shown by your version of Snipping Tool. You can set default recording audio options in the app's settings; if you use more than one microphone, choose the right input before starting.
4. Select Start and perform the task once. Keep the relevant window within the rectangle, and avoid switching to private content. When you have shown the result, select Stop.
5. Preview the clip. Check that it starts before the important action, that the result is visible, and that any expected sound is present. Save the recording when it is ready to share.

Snipping Tool captures the rectangle you selected on the display. If the app moves outside that area, the recording will not follow it; keep the app in frame. A little margin helps keep a menu or dialog from being clipped, but a larger rectangle can also capture more of your desktop.

Check the clip before you share it

Play the saved recording once from beginning to end. Look for private information, notifications or extra seconds that do not help explain the issue. Listen with headphones if you recorded sound: a visible audio control does not prove that the clip contains the sound you intended.

For a support request, add a sentence naming the app and the action shown in the clip. The video is evidence of what appeared on screen; your note gives the viewer the context needed to reproduce it.

If the Record option is missing

Open Snipping Tool from Start rather than relying on the keyboard shortcut. If the app itself is missing or out of date, check for its update through Microsoft Store. Microsoft added the recorder to Snipping Tool for Windows 11, so these steps do not describe the built-in Windows 10 Snipping Tool experience.

On a work or school PC, recording may be disabled by an administrator. Microsoft documented a management policy for turning off Snipping Tool screen recording in a 2024 Windows 11 Release Preview update. If Record is unavailable on a managed device, ask your IT team whether the setting is restricted; do not try to bypass a work policy.

If the video works but has no sound, check the PC audio and microphone options separately, then make another short sample. The screen recorder and the audio source are separate choices, so a good-looking picture can still have the wrong sound track.

Keep the recording focused

For a short desktop demonstration, Snipping Tool gives you a direct route from a selected region to a previewable clip. Choose only the area the viewer needs, test audio if you need it, and play the finished recording before sharing. That last check catches both a missed step and an accidental glimpse of something private.

Sources

• Microsoft, Introducing a big update to Windows 11 , 28 February 2023.
• Microsoft Windows Insider Program, New updates for Snipping Tool and Notepad for Windows Insiders , 31 August 2023.
• Microsoft, The most personal Windows 11 experience begins rolling out today , 26 September 2023.
• Microsoft Windows Insider Program, Windows 11 Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520 Release Preview , 11 April 2024.