Notepad on Windows 11 is currently undergoing a significant update, bringing a long-awaited feature to the classic text editor: text formatting. This change moves Notepad beyond simple plain text, allowing users to style their content directly within the application.
The new capabilities include fundamental formatting options that many users have desired for years. Testers can now apply bold, italic, and underline styles to text. This makes it much easier to emphasize specific words or phrases, create headings, or structure notes more effectively without needing to switch to a more complex word processor.
In addition to basic styles, the update is also expected to introduce options for changing font type and font size. While details about all potential features are still emerging from the testing phase, the inclusion of these formatting tools represents a major step for Notepad, transforming it into a more versatile tool for note-taking and simple document creation.
This enhancement is currently being rolled out to a limited group of users participating in the Windows Insider program. This allows Microsoft to gather feedback and identify any issues before making the feature broadly available to all Windows 11 users. The phased rollout is a standard practice to ensure stability and refine the user experience.
The goal appears to be adding useful functionality while attempting to retain the core simplicity and speed that have made Notepad a beloved tool for decades. While it won’t replace full-featured word processors, these new text formatting options significantly improve its utility for quick notes, code snippets, and basic document preparation. This update is a strong signal that Microsoft is investing in modernizing even its most traditional applications.
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-now-testing-notepad-text-formatting-in-windows-11/
