Cut the middleman out of your screenshots with the Microsoft Snip beta

By Gabe Carey August 27, 2015

microsoft snip beta

Windows users have spoken and, at long last, Microsoft has listened. After many years of having to copy our screenshots to the clipboard and paste them somewhere else, Microsoft has finally decided to release a piece of PC software that simplifies the process considerably.

The Snip beta, available for download here, is a new addition to the Office productivity family that enables users to take a snapshot of either a single active window, or your PC’s entire screen with the click of a button. From there, clips can be shared, stored locally, or copied to the clipboard in a separate window.

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It’s essentially a two-step process, and from what I’ve briefly experienced myself, it’s infinitely more efficient than the Snipping Tool, Microsoft’s previous attempt at screen grabbing, which has been included with the OS since Windows Vista.

Less expected from the app is the ability to add audio to the screenshots you take, turning them into MP4 files and allowing you to upload those files to Microsoft’s own servers. This means you won’t have to first go through the trouble of posting your creations to YouTube or any other video sharing site prior to embedding them to a website or sharing on social media.

Unfortunately, the most noteworthy drawback thus far is the email client restrictions placed on Snip beta. For those of you interested in emailing screenshots directly from the app’s built-in Share feature, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the desktop version of Outlook and not the live tile version available for free from the Windows Store.

Nonetheless, if you don’t have Outlook just yet or you’d prefer not to use it, saving the file locally and then sharing via your preferred email client isn’t exactly a rigorous task.

Presently, Microsoft’s Snip is available for free in its beta form with the option to send feedback to Microsoft hidden in its bare, albeit simple to use, set of built-in features. Of course, there are a number of alternative programs to use for this exact demand, but if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to take screenshots on a Windows PC, Snip beta is a solid option to try out.

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