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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Windows 11 Snipping Tool now has a visual search engine.
- You can learn more about the item you capture via a Bing search.
- You can also extract or translate text and even solve a math equation.
The Snipping Tool in Windows 11 provides a handy way to capture screenshots of text, images, and other items that appear on your screen. But sometimes you might want to learn more about the item you’ve captured. For that, the tool now offers a visual search engine that uses Bing to dig up information on the content in your screenshot.
Also: Microsoft said my PC was ‘too old’ to run Windows 11 – how I upgraded in 5 minutes anyway
Available with the latest version of the Snipping Tool, the visual search feature taps into Microsoft’s “Visual Search with Bing,” as described and tested by Windows Latest. By running this type of search on text, an image, or other content, you can discover more about it, translate visible text into another language, extract text via OCR to copy and paste it, and even solve a mathematical equation.
How to use Visual Search
Here’s how it works.
First, make sure you’re running the latest version of the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Open the Microsoft Store app, select Downloads, and then click the button to check for updates. Any Microsoft app that needs an update will get it, including the Snipping Tool.
Next, open the content that you want to capture. Maybe it’s an image in your Photos library, text on a web page, or a mathematical equation you need to solve. Launch the Snipping Tool from the Start menu. At the top toolbar, click the camera icon if it’s not already selected and then click New. Select the Snipping area icon at the top to set the area you wish to capture — rectangle, window, full screen, or freeform.
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Capture the item on the screen by drawing the area with your mouse or finger. In the screen capture window, right-click the image and select “Visual Search with Bing” from the menu. You’re then taken to the Bing website with a lineup of search results that provide details on the content in the shot. From the website, you’re able to run different tasks, especially if you’ve captured text or an image with text in it.
Click the Translate button to translate the text into a different language. Click the text button to highlight any visible text, which you can then copy and paste. Click the Solve button if you’re captured an equation that you want solved. Bing should then serve up the right response.
Also: Major new Windows 11 update redesigns the Start menu – what you need to know
If this type of visual search sounds familiar, that’s because it’s been part of other tools, most notably Google Lens. Built into the Google Photos app, Google Search, and other products, Lens can visually search on text and images you capture through the camera or open on your device.
The Snipping Tool has proven to be a useful utility, particularly as Microsoft enhances its capabilities. Beyond taking a static screenshot, you’re able to capture a video of your screen activity. You can also mark up, edit, and fine-tune your image. The built-in OCR can extract text that’s part of an image. When done, you’re able to copy or save your captured image. If you haven’t already been using the Snipping Tool, now is as good a time as any to dive in.
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