A new text formatting option has been added to Windows 11 Notepad

Just days after Microsoft began rolling out its AI-powered writing assistant for Notepad, the company is once again enhancing the app – this time by introducing a suite of text formatting tools that bring it closer to the now-discontinued WordPad. Available to users enrolled in the Windows 11 Insider Program through the Canary and Dev Channels, these new features allow Notepad to handle much more than just plain text editing.

Microsoft claims that Notepad users may now create hyperlinks, apply basic formatting like bold and italics, and even take use of Markdown capabilities. These updates are designed to offer users more versatility and structure when creating or editing documents. The company emphasized in a recent blog post that these lightweight formatting capabilities are aimed at enhancing flexibility across various file types, making the app more powerful for content creation while maintaining its minimalist approach.

The new formatting options are located in a toolbar at the top of the Notepad interface, providing a clean and intuitive way to stylize text. For purists who prefer Notepad in its original, no-frills form, Microsoft reassures that the app can still function as a traditional plain text editor. For a simpler experience, users can remove formatting directly from the toolbar or through the edit menu.

To further increase its usefulness for developers, authors, and content producers, the upgraded Notepad also has a toggle in the status bar that lets users quickly switch between a structured Markdown view and the raw Markdown syntax. These new capabilities are included in version 11.2504.50.0 of the Notepad app, so users should ensure their software is up to date.

This rollout follows a series of updates to Notepad over recent years as Microsoft continues its push to modernize the long-standing application. Since its 2021 redesign for Windows 11, Notepad has received multiple upgrades, including multi-tab support, a character counter, autocorrect, and spell check. While the new text formatting features are currently limited to Insider builds, broader availability is expected in future stable Windows 11 updates.