Fix Snip & Sketch Not Working in Windows 11

You have hit the keyboard shortcut Windows + Shift + S keys to launch the Skip & Sketch app and OS didn’t open the tool to take a screenshot. What now? Follow the troubleshooting steps below.

1. Update Windows

Windows 11 is still in early stages and the company is still figuring out early glitches from the OS. Maybe a bug in Windows is preventing the OS to open Snip & Sketch properly. Open the Windows 11 Settings menu (use Windows + I keys – remember this keyboard shortcut, we will use it frequently throughout the post) and go to Windows Update. Click on Check for updates and install the newest OS on PC.

2. Check Date and Time

Wrong time and date settings on your Windows 11 PC can lead to issues with default apps. Glance over the bottom right corner of the task manager and see if it’s displaying the correct time and date. You can also make changes from the Settings menu.

  1. Open Windows Settings and go to Time & language menu.
  2. Select Date & time.
  3. Enable Set time automatically and make sure it’s displaying the correct Time zone.

3. Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

Microsoft distributes the Snip & Sketch app via the Microsoft Store on Windows. You can run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter to fix Snip & Sketch issue.

  1. Navigate to Windows Settings > System > Troubleshoot menu.
  2. Select Other Troubleshooters.
  3. Scroll down to Windows Store Apps and run the troubleshooter. Once Microsoft completes running the troubleshooter tool, you can try using Snip & Sketch tool.

4. Close Snip & Sketch from Task Manager

This trick works with most unresponsive apps on Windows 11. You can use the Task Manager, completely close all Snip & Sketch processes and try again.

  1. Right-click on the Windows key and open Task Manager.
  2. Find Snipping Tool from the list and click on it.
  3. Hit the End Task button and you are good to go using Snip & Sketch again.

5. Disable Focus Assist

Focus Assist is Windows 11’s take on Do Not Disturb. Snip & Sketch is already working on your PC but you won’t get a notification about the screenshot as your PC is on Focus Assist. Click on the volume or Wi-Fi icon in the Windows 11 taskbar and disable Focus Assist. If you insist on using the Snipping Tool app for a quiet environment, you can exclude the Snipping Tool from Focus Assist. Here’s how.

  1. Go to Windows Settings and open the System menu.
  2. Select Focus assist.
  3. Click on Priority only and that will allow Snipping Tool to send notifications during Focus assist.

6. Repair Snipping Tool

If you are still having troubles with the Snip & Sketch, you can try repairing the app from the Windows Settings menu. Here’s how.

  1. Launch Windows 11 Settings app and go to the Apps menu.
  2. Select Apps & features.
  3. Scroll down to Snipping Tool.
  4. Click on the three-dot menu and open Advanced options.
  5. Select Repair and let Windows handle the issue.

7. Allow Snipping Tool to Run in Background

Snipping Tool runs in the background to enable Snip & Sketch to function when you hit the Windows + Shift + S keys. By default, Snipping Tool is Power optimized but you can set it to Always to keep running in the background. Open the Windows Settings menu and go to Apps > Apps & features menu. Select Advanced options and find Background apps permissions. Click on the drop-down menu and select Always. The action might draw more battery, but you won’t face any issue with Snip & Sketch now.

8. Reinstall Snipping Tool

Since the Snipping Tool is available on the Microsoft Store, you can uninstall the app and download it again from the Store to fix issues. Navigate to Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features and find Snipping Tool in it. Click on the three-dot menu and click on Uninstall. Confirm your decision and remove it from your PC. Open Microsoft Store and download Snipping Tool to integrate it with the OS.

9. Run System Scan

Do you have a habit of downloading apps and files from unverified sources from the web? You might have infected your PC with bogus and malicious files, and it can break some core OS functions such as Snip & Sketch. You need to run a System File Checker scan on your PC.

  1. Right-click on the Windows key and open the Windows Terminal menu.
  2. Type sfc /scannow and hit enter. Once the scan is complete, try using the Snipping tool again.

Try Snipping Tool Alternative

The Snipping tool is limited in certain ways. The Windows ecosystem is filled with capable screenshot tools to capture parts of the screen. One such app is ShareX. It’s a free and open-source alternative to the Snipping Tool on Windows 11. You can capture screen, record screen, capture text, scan QR code, and even copy files to the clipboard. Give it a try from the download link below. Download – ShareX

Get Snip & Sketch Up and Running in Windows 11

You can also make tweaks from the Group Policy Editor to fix issues with Snip & Sketch on Windows 11. But for a normal consumer, we won’t advise tweaking settings in Group Policy Editor as a single wrong tweak can mess with core OS functions for you. The steps above should be sufficient to troubleshoot Snip & Sketch not working problem on Windows 11.