Notepad for Windows 11 adds text formatting, Markdown support, and new toolbar
Microsoft has rolled out a major update to the Windows Notepad app for Windows 11, now available to Canary and Dev Channel testers. The new version adds text formatting features, including bold, italic, hyperlinks, lists, and headings. A formatting toolbar has been added next to the main menus, with an option to clear formatting and return to plain text.
Notepad now includes integrated Markdown support. Users can write with Markdown syntax, edit Markdown files, and switch between raw syntax and a formatted preview using the view menu or a status bar toggle. This update caters to developers and technical writers who prefer Markdown’s lightweight format.
While some users may favor the traditional plain text interface, Microsoft has included a settings toggle to fully disable the new formatting features and preserve the classic Notepad experience. This update comes just after the introduction of an AI-powered Write feature, which allows users to generate text drafts by providing prompts within Notepad.
- Text Editor
- Free • Proprietary
Related news
External links
- Text Formatting in Notepad begin rolling out to Windows InsidersWindows Insider Blog • Official source
- Microsoft is ruining Notepad with pointless formatting in Windows 11BetaNews
- You can now format text in Windows 11's NotepadNeowin
- Microsoft is updating Notepad with text formatting and Markdown supportThe Verge
Comments
I have no problem with this, as long as it doesn't get funky with plaintext files. I'm not sure if the formatting features are strictly tied to markdown or not, but I'd say just markdown with a previewer would've been enough that you could consider still "in the spirit of notepad" - I suppose people miss wordpad... we'll see how this goes.
Oh, on that same breath, syntax highlighting when, Microsoft? At this rate it's only a matter of time. You could even advertise it as something for those "vibe coders" I hear about so much.
man, my main usecase for notepad was to remove formatting of things i copy from internet :/
Just use the "Ctrl + Shift + V", instead of "Ctrl + V".
I would like this if it wasn't for the worthless AI integration. As it is, this is just another reason for me not to use Notepad anymore. The FOSS Notepads app is already better and doesn't have AI.
What a joke. The whole reason notepad is useful is that it is a no-frills plain text editor and it opens really quickly. There already exists a vast selection of markdown editors and note-taking tabbed managers. Not looking forward to an extra 10 seconds for notepad to open, or for the unwanted prompts to inject AI into something which does not need AI.
Why the heck do you assume this will significantly affect performance? They are basically adding features from Wordpad (plus markdown), and Wordpad launches pretty much the same as notepad. And btw, the new notepad with tabs is already slower than something like Notepad++, so you probably should already go for that if performance is main priority