Key Takeaways
- Snipping Tool 11.2404.35.0 update recognizes QR codes, opens links. Now supports emojis and customizable shapes for editing screenshots.
- New Snipping Tool feature makes it easier to view QR codes without a smartphone. Can add flair with 3D emojis and adjust shape opacity.
- Paint’s Cocreator feature renamed Image Creator in small update. Available in Microsoft Store for Canary and Dev Channels of Insider program.
Microsoft has released a significant update for the Snipping Tool app on Windows 11 for those enrolled in the Windows Insider Program. Among its many new features, the Snipping Tool can now recognize QR codes in screenshots and open the respective links for you, making it much easier to open QR codes, especially if you don’t have a smartphone handy.
This new feature and more are arriving with version 11.2404.35.0 of the app, which is now rolling out to both Canary and Dev channels of the Insider program. It was reported to be coming almost a full month ago.
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Support for recognizing QR codes is a fairly big deal considering everyone has probably run into a situation where they want to see where a QR code leads but don’t want to pull out a phone or don’t have one at all. Snipping Tool could already recognize text in screenshots, so you can consider this an extension of that.
Image credit: Microsoft
But that’s not the only addition Snipping Tool is getting with this update. After adding support for shapes earlier this year, you’ll also now be able to edit your screenshots with emoji, specifically the 3D-looking designs in the latest versions of Windows 11, which actually look very nice. This lets you add a bit of flair to your images, or even make a meme out of them if you’re smart about it.
On top of that, and speaking of support for shapes, Microsoft is also making it possible to customize the opacity of both the fill and outline colors of a shape, so you don’t entirely block part of the image when adding one. Microsoft also says the ruler tool is now back in the app, and it can be found in the “see more” menu (the ellipsis button in the top right corner).
Image credit: Microsoft
Paint’s Cocreator is now Image Creator
Meanwhile, the Paint app is also getting an update today, albeit a much smaller one. The AI-powered Cocreator feature, which can generate images for you using text-only prompts, is now called Image Creator. Functionall, ntohing has changed with this update, but the name aligns more closely with Image Creator in Copilot, which makes sense considering the tech behind it is likely the same.
If you’re enrolled in the Canary or Dev Channels of the Insider program, you can find these updates in the Microsoft Store. However, they’re rolling out gradually, so you may not see them right away.