Microsoft has unveiled a significant update to its classic Notepad application, introducing lightweight text formatting capabilities for users enrolled in the Windows 11 Insider Program on the Canary and Dev Channels.
In a recent blog post, the company announced that users can now apply formatting such as bold and italics, insert hyperlinks, and utilize Markdown, marking a substantial shift from the app’s traditional plain-text-only design. These new features are part of Microsoft’s broader initiative to modernize Notepad, which has long remained a staple utility on Windows.
The updated interface includes a formatting toolbar positioned at the top of the window, making it easier for users to structure their content visually. For those who prefer the original plain text editing experience, Microsoft has included options to remove formatting. This can be done through the toolbar itself or via the edit menu, ensuring the tool remains versatile for different user preferences.
A key addition is the ability to toggle between a styled Markdown preview and the raw Markdown syntax. This functionality is accessed via a new toggle button in the status bar located at the bottom of the app window, allowing for seamless switching depending on the task at hand.
To experience these enhancements, users must update Notepad to version 11.2504.50.0.
Over the past few years, Microsoft has been gradually evolving Notepad’s capabilities. The refresh began in 2021 with a redesigned version for Windows 11. Since then, new features like tabbed document viewing, a built-in character counter, autocorrect, and spell checking have been introduced.
However, as these updates are currently limited to Insider builds, users on the stable release of Windows 11 will need to wait a bit longer before the features become widely available.
