Snipping Tool finally supports GIF files

This week, Microsoft has released a number of major updates to its built-in Windows 11 apps. Paint, Notepad, and Snipping Tool all got AI-powered new features like creating stickers, taking perfect screenshots, and composing text. Now, Microsoft is working on another big, highly anticipated upgrade to Snipping Tool, and the 'good news' is that it has nothing to do with AI at all.

As spotted by tech blogger @phantomofearth, Snipping Tool is getting a feature that lets you save screen recordings as GIFs. Currently, the app only saves videos, but fast, lightweight GIFs are often more effective for illustrating on-screen actions. In addition to the new format, Snipping Tool will also let you choose the output quality to reduce file size or make the image sharper. When the update rolls out, you'll see a GIF button in the upper-right corner of the window when saving a video, along with a Ctrl + G keyboard shortcut .

Microsoft hasn't officially announced the details yet, so information is limited. The ability to save screen recordings as GIFs may appear in Windows 11 Insider previews.

What other features would you like to see in the Snipping Tool? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Samuel Daniel

Update 26 May 2025