Big update from Microsoft: Humble Notepad will now use Copilot to write text for you.

Microsoft is now adding AI to Notepad, the simple text editor that’s been around since Windows 1.0. This is part of Microsoft’s big idea to add Copilot AI to more apps in Windows. The new feature in Notepad is called "Write". It helps users create text using Copilot AI.

To make the AI write for you, first sign in with your Microsoft account, pick where the text should go, then click on the Copilot menu to start. The AI will then generate text, and you can either keep it, delete it, or ask it to change the text. You can also turn off Copilot in Notepad if you don’t want to use it.

Many people are confused about why Microsoft added AI to Notepad in the first place, it’s a very basic app used for quick notes. Some people feel it would make more sense to add this kind of AI to WordPad, but Microsoft already killed off WordPad recently.


In apps like Outlook in Microsoft 365, using AI to write emails makes some sense for busy people. But Notepad is usually for quick and simple tasks like removing formatting from text. Microsoft first added AI to Notepad in November 2024 with a feature called "Rewrite", it let users change text tone, format, or length.

Now, Notepad is getting more AI-powered tools, even though the app stayed almost the same for decades before. Around the same time, Microsoft also launched a lightweight command line editor, which is the complete opposite of the new fancy AI version of Notepad.

Microsoft is also putting more AI into another old app, Paint. Paint now has AI features like a sticker maker and a smart tool to pick and edit parts of a picture. There's also a “welcome experience” added to help users understand all the new features.

Some people feel that Microsoft is adding all these AI features just for the sake of it, not because users really asked for them. Many users would probably prefer Microsoft fixing bugs and bad updates, instead of stuffing AI into every app.

FAQs

Q1. What’s the name of the new AI tool in Notepad?
It's called "Write" and helps you create text using AI.

Q2. Can I turn off the AI in Notepad?
Yes, you can turn it off in the app settings.