What Is Snip & Sketch?
Snip & Sketch was a screenshot and annotation app Microsoft built into Windows 10, first appearing in version 1809 (October 2018 Update). It was designed as a modern replacement for the original Snipping Tool, which had not been updated in years.
The defining feature of Snip & Sketch was the Win + Shift + S keyboard shortcut. Pressing it dimmed the screen and showed a small toolbar at the top with four capture modes: rectangular, free-form, window, and full screen. After capturing, a notification appeared allowing you to open the built-in editor.
Microsoft discontinued Snip & Sketch as a standalone app in Windows 11 (2021). Its features were merged into the original Snipping Tool, which was renamed and rebuilt as the single screenshot app for Windows 11.
Introduced
Windows 10 version 1809 (Oct 2018)
Main shortcut
Win + Shift + S
Discontinued
Windows 11 (2021)
Replaced by
Snipping Tool (unified)
Snip & Sketch Feature Review
Snip & Sketch was a capable but limited screenshot tool. It handled the core use case well: quick capture, quick annotation, quick share. These were its key features.
Win + Shift + S shortcut
The shortcut was instant and worked system-wide from any app. It remained one of the fastest ways to start a screenshot on Windows 10.
Four capture modes
Rectangular snip, free-form snip, window snip, and full-screen snip. All four modes worked reliably with no setup required.
Annotation editor
The built-in editor offered a pen, highlighter, eraser, and crop tool. No arrows, text boxes, or shapes. Sufficient for quick markups, limited for detailed annotations.
Clipboard integration
Every capture was automatically copied to the clipboard. You could paste directly into email, Slack, or any app without saving a file.
No delay timer
Snip & Sketch had no delay option. Capturing tooltips, dropdown menus, or hover states was not possible, as the overlay closed the moment you pressed the shortcut.
No scrolling capture
Snip & Sketch could not capture content longer than your visible screen. Full-page web captures required a third-party tool.
Why Microsoft Replaced It
By 2021, Windows had two separate screenshot apps: the original Snipping Tool (unchanged since Windows Vista) and Snip & Sketch (modern but limited). Users were frequently confused about which to use and why both existed.
When Microsoft built Windows 11, they merged both apps into a single rebuilt Snipping Tool. The new app kept the Win + Shift + S shortcut and the four capture modes from Snip & Sketch, added the classic delay timer from the original Snipping Tool, and introduced new features not present in either predecessor.
Snip & Sketch was officially removed from the Microsoft Store in 2023. Users who had it installed on Windows 10 kept it, but new installations are no longer possible.
How to Open Snip & Sketch on Windows 11
Snip & Sketch does not exist as a separate app on Windows 11. You use Snipping Tool instead. The shortcut, capture modes, and clipboard behavior are identical.
Keyboard shortcut
Press Win + Shift + S from any screen. The capture overlay opens immediately.
Start menu search
Press Win, type snipping, and open Snipping Tool for the full app window.
Taskbar pin
Right-click the Snipping Tool icon in the taskbar after opening it and select Pin to taskbar.
What Snipping Tool Added Over Snip & Sketch
The unified Snipping Tool in Windows 11 kept everything from Snip & Sketch and added three capabilities that were missing.
Delay timer (1, 3, or 5 seconds)
Snip & Sketch had no delay. The new Snipping Tool lets you set a countdown before the capture starts, making it possible to screenshot tooltips, right-click menus, and other transient UI elements.
Screen recording (MP4)
The camera icon in the toolbar opens a screen recording mode. You select an area, press Start, and Snipping Tool records it as an MP4 file. This was not possible in Snip & Sketch at all.
Text extraction (OCR)
After capturing a screenshot, the Text Actions button can extract any text visible in the image. You can copy, redact, or search the extracted text. Useful for screenshots of PDFs, error messages, and locked documents.
For the full list of keyboard shortcuts in the current app, see the Snipping Tool keyboard shortcuts guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Snip & Sketch?
Is Snip & Sketch the same as Snipping Tool?
How do I open Snip & Sketch on Windows 11?
What is the shortcut for Snip & Sketch?
Why did Microsoft discontinue Snip & Sketch?
Can I still use Snip & Sketch on Windows 10?
If Snipping Tool is not responding or Win + Shift + S is not working, see the Snipping Tool troubleshooting guide for step-by-step fixes. If you want a third-party alternative that works on all Windows versions, see the best free Snipping Tool alternatives.