October 6, 2026

Copy the text out of a Windows screenshot

After Windows + Shift + S, open the snip and use Text actions. The recognition runs on the PC.

• Windows
• Easy · 1 min
• Windows 11 with current Snipping Tool
• Fix: copy text from a Windows screenshot
• Snipping Tool
• Cheat sheet

How to do it

1. 01

   Press Windows + Shift + S and drag a box around the text.

2. 02

   Click the preview to open Snipping Tool.

3. 03

   Click Text actions, then select the text or choose Copy all text.

4. 04

   If the capture bar itself shows Text extractor, you can use that instead and copy the text without keeping the image.

Update Snipping Tool from the Microsoft Store if Text actions is missing. Quick redact, on the same toolbar, can black out emails and phone numbers before you share the image.