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Why was OCR / text extraction removed from the Windows 11 Snipping Tool?
Recent Windows 11 updates removed the OCR (text extraction) capability from Snipping Tool when Copilot integration was removed. Is there a plan to restore OCR as a standalone feature?
This is a functional regression. OCR is a core OS‑level utility on modern platforms, not a generative AI feature. On iOS, users have been able to select and copy text directly from screenshots at the operating system level for many years, without invoking a separate app or branded AI surface.
By contrast, Windows 11 now lacks a fast, inline, OS‑level text extraction workflow after screen capture. Removing OCR from Snipping Tool significantly degrades everyday productivity and widens the usability gap between Windows and competing platforms. For example, the iPhone has had this since iOS 15.
Request: Restore OCR / text extraction in Snipping Tool under a neutral, functional name (for example, “Extract text”), implemented as a first‑class OS utility independent of Copilot branding or generative AI features.
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Hello, syrwhizzy.
As an alternative, I recommend it (I've been using it myself for a long time to extract text directly from the screen, not just from screenshots) a utility from Microsoft called PowerToys: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xp89dcgq3k6vld?hl=en-us
The OCR functionality in it does not depend on Copilot.
"Why was OCR / text extraction removed from the Windows 11 Snipping Tool?"
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Bringing up a new Win 11 laptop ... with 25H2 on it, upgraded to 26H2. Found that Snipping Tool didn't have OCR. AI told me to uninstall it, then reinstall from Store and - guess what - that worked!
AI answer
Current documentation for Snipping Tool on Windows 11 shows that text extraction (OCR) is still available as a built‑in, on‑device feature, not removed.
After taking a snip in Snipping Tool, selecting the Text actions button activates OCR so that text can be extracted directly from the captured image. From there, it is possible to:
All text recognition is performed locally on the device. This OCR capability is implemented as part of Windows’ on‑device Text Recognition (OCR) platform, which provides structured text output and runs via Windows AI APIs in the Windows App SDK. It is designed specifically for scenarios such as extracting text from screenshots and scanned documents, and it operates offline with no image data sent to the cloud.
The available documentation does not indicate that OCR has been removed from Snipping Tool or that there is a plan to remove it; instead, it describes OCR as a current feature exposed through Text actions.
If OCR is not visible in a particular environment, this would not be explained by the provided documentation and would require product feedback or support investigation beyond the available information.
References:
