Microsoft announced today that the Windows 11 notepad application is getting a text formatting facility supporting the markdown-style input.
The feature is being introduced a year after Microsoft removed the WordPad Basic Word Processing App, which had text formatting capabilities, including the inner sources in the Preview Channel released with the rollout of Windows 11 24H2.
“With this update, we are starting lightweight formatting in the notepad, which you provide additional flexibility in the composition of the content in your files,” Said Dave Grockey, a major product manager leads in Microsoft.
“Experience supports Markdown style inputs and files for users who prefer to work directly with light markup language. To initiate, use the new formatting toolbar, as you type or include bold and Italic style, hyperlinks and support for bold and Italic styles, hyperlinks and simple lists and heading to apply formatting as a selected text.”
To switch to plain text in the currently opened document, you can quickly remove formatting using a toolbar or edit menu. You can also togue between the View menu or status bar formed Markdown and Markdown Syntax view.
Additionally, those who do not require text formatting support while editing or watching their documents in the notepad can disable it to app settings.
This new notepad capacity is rolling for all Windows internal formulas in canary and Dev channels, which have updated the app in an 11.2504.50.0 edition.
Section of new notepad facilities
However, this update is also part of a major attempt to modernize the notepad app, which began in December 2021, which began in 1983 with the launch of the notepad app fully designed for Windows 11, 38 years after introducing the original program of Microsoft in 1983.
Two years later, Redmund began testing support for several tabs and added an underlying character counter (this missing feature forced several notepad users to use third-party options such as notepad ++ or notepad 2).
In July 2024, the company also added spell check and autocorite features to all Windows 11 users that you can automatically fix spelling mistakes by typing them.
Recently, since the beginning of 2025, Microsoft has also rolled out AI-Interested Text Summary and Text Generation Fails for internal sources of Windows 11 in Canary and Dev Channels, which requires Microsoft 365 personal, family and co-operative proximity.
However, people who do not want new AI options can disable them from the settings of the app or uninstall the Windows Notepad app to use the Windows Built-in Notepad.XE program.
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