Windows 11 Notepad gets AI-powered text writing capabilities

Microsoft is testing a new AI-powered text generation feature in Notepad that can let Windows Insiders create content based on custom prompts.
Dubbed “Write,” the new Notepad feature is rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, who have upgraded to Notepad version 11.2504.46.0.
“The new write feature helps you quickly draft text based on your prompt, making it easy to start from a blank page or build upon existing content with AI-powered assistance. To get started, place your cursor where you want to insert new text or select content you’d like to use as a reference,” said Dave Grochocki, Principal Group Product Manager for Windows Inbox Apps.
“Then right-click and choose Write, select Write from the Copilot menu, or use the Ctrl + Q keyboard shortcut. Enter your instruction into the dialog and click Send. The AI-generated output will appear directly on the canvas.”
You can add the generated text to the document by clicking the “Keep text” button and hitting “Discard” if it doesn’t fit your requirements. You can also enter additional prompts to refine the output.
Grochocki added that users must sign in to their Microsoft personal account to use the Writee tool, which will use AI credits linked to their Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Copilot Pro subscriptions.

Over the last few years, Microsoft has been actively working to add more AI features to the Windows 11 Notepad application. For example, in November, it included a new text rewriting tool called “Rewrite” with the release of Notepad version 11.2410.15.0.
Formerly known as CoWriter, it uses generative AI to rewrite content automatically, and it can rephrase sentences, modify the length of the text, and adjust the tone.
Additionally, in December 2023, Microsoft introduced a built-in character counter, and in July 2024, they rolled out a spell-check and autocorrect feature.
If you don’t want Notepad’s AI options in the user interface, you can disable them from the app’s settings or uninstall the Notepad app to use the Windows built-in notepad.exe program.
On Thursday, the company also started rolling out new AI capabilities for Paint and Snipping Tool users enrolled in the Windows Insider program.
Those who have installed Paint version 11.2504.451.0 can create custom stickers by clicking the “Sticker generator button” in the Copilot menu and isolate individual image elements more easily using an AI-powered selection tool.
Snipping Tool version 11.2504.38.0 adds perfect screenshot and color picker features, which will automatically resize the current screenshot based on the selected content and select the HEX, RGB, or HSL color code of any pixel on the screen.
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