Why it matters: Windows 11's Snipping Tool already allows you to copy text from images, offering functionality similar to Apple's Live Text – but Microsoft's implementation involves a few more steps. A new Windows 11 Insider update aims to streamline the process of grabbing text from various sources for easier copying and pasting.

Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels can now test a feature that moves the Snipping Tool's text extractor directly to the main toolbar. This change eliminates the need to take a screenshot before capturing text.

The current public version of Windows 11 includes a text extractor in both the Snipping Tool and Photos apps. After opening an image in either program, users can copy text from the picture by clicking the extractor icon – located at the top of the Snipping Tool window or the bottom of the Photos window.

For further context, Microsoft offered this kind of functionality before in Windows via PowerToys, but that compares unfavorably to Macs or iPhones which have allowed users to select and copy text from photos by simply tapping and dragging since at least 2021.

Windows 11 Insider 11.2503.27.0 adds the extractor icon to the Snipping Tool capture toolbar, which appears after launching the app from the Start Menu or by pressing Win + Shift + S.

After clicking the text extractor, users can drag the rectangular snip selector over the portion of the screen containing the desired text.

Once selected, users can highlight specific text or copy the entire selection to the clipboard. A dropdown menu offers additional options, such as removing line breaks or automatically copying all text within the selected area by clicking "Copy all text." Although preview features don't always make it into public builds, adding this kind of functionality to the Snipping Tool seems like a no-brainer at this point.

Users interested in testing Windows' upcoming features can register their Microsoft accounts with the Insider Program. To provide feedback on the new update, open the Feedback Hub via the Start Menu or by pressing Win + F, then navigate to Apps > Snipping Tool.

Windows 11 preview versions have also recently introduced new Android phone integrations, launched a gaming optimization FAQ, and attempted to relaunch the controversial Recall feature.

Recall which relies on GenAI and NPUs was meant to be launched last year, but Microsoft was forced to delay it due to security and privacy concerns. Recall allows Copilot to access a timeline of user actions to perform natural language search and commands. However, it works by taking snapshots of nearly everything happening on your PC at any given time. Although Microsoft has taken extra time to added security measures, many users remain skeptical about those assurances.

copying text from images in Windows 11