Snipping Tool & Notepad Updates to Windows 11 Beta & Release Preview Channels

[Corrine]

Snipping Tool and Notepad updates begin rolling out to Windows Insiders

Snipping Tool (version 11.2401.32.0)
With this update, we are adding the ability to add shapes to captures in Snipping Tool, so that you can quickly add rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows to mark up your screenshots.

To get started, select the new shapes button in the toolbar, and select the desired shape (you can change the fill or outline color if you'd like). Click and drag anywhere over your image to draw a new shape. You can resize, move, or change your shape color before clicking away. Once the shape is deselected, it will merge with your image, but you can still remove shapes with the eraser tool or undo your annotations.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Snipping Tool.

Notepad (version 11.2401.25.0)
In this update to Notepad, we are adding a new feature that helps you quickly understand content in your text files. With "Explain with Copilot", you can ask Copilot in Windows to help explain log files, code segments, or any selected content directly from within Notepad.

To try it out, highlight any text, right-click, choose "Explain with Copilot" from the menu or use the new Ctrl + E keyboard shortcut, and a detailed explanation will appear in Copilot. This feature is available on devices that have Copilot in Windows, but there is a known issue where some users might not see this new feature in Notepad right away.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Notepad.