Microsoft shipped a Notepad update to Windows 11 Insiders on September 17 that brings three generative AI writing tools—Summarize, Write, and Rewrite—directly into the app. For the first time, these features can run entirely offline on Copilot+ PCs, no Microsoft account or paid subscription needed.

Three new writing tools, no internet needed

Notepad is no longer just a plain‑text scratchpad. The update, rolling out to the Canary and Dev channels as version 11.2508.28.0, adds a focused set of AI helpers that work on‑device. They appear in the Copilot menu, a right‑click context menu, and dedicated keyboard shortcuts.

  • Write generates new content from a prompt or expands an existing selection. You can draft an email, fill in meeting notes, or flesh out a bullet list without leaving the app.
  • Rewrite rephrases selected text, changes tone, shortens or lengthens passages, and offers multiple variants to choose from.
  • Summarize compresses long blocks of text into short, medium, or long summaries or pulls out key action items—handy for distilling meeting notes or log files.

The tools are designed for quick, in‑place edits. They keep you inside Notepad instead of bouncing to a browser or a separate AI service.

Hardware that makes it possible

The offline magic requires a Copilot+ certified device with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that delivers at least 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second). That performance floor ensures responsive local inference without draining the battery. Compatible silicon includes Snapdragon X‑series chips, Intel Core Ultra processors, and AMD Ryzen AI processors in laptops and tablets that ship with the proper firmware and drivers.

When Notepad detects a suitable NPU, it loads a compact language model pre‑provisioned by Microsoft or the OEM. User text never leaves the device during local inference—everything happens on the NPU, CPU, and GPU. Subscribers to Microsoft 365 can still switch to cloud models for heavier tasks or multi‑language support, but the local path is always available and requires no sign‑in.

At launch, the local model supports English only. Cloud models—which are larger, fresher, and support more languages—remain gated behind a Microsoft account and, in some cases, a Microsoft 365 plan.

Who gets it and what it costs

There is no separate download or purchase. The updated Notepad is delivered through the Microsoft Store and Windows Update to devices enrolled in the Insider Program’s Canary and Dev channels. General availability will follow a staggered rollout after further testing.

Three user profiles stand to benefit immediately:

  • Home users: If you own a Copilot+ PC, you can draft, rewrite, and summarize text without ever sending data to Microsoft’s servers. For quick everyday tasks—composing a quick email stub, rephrasing a note, extracting action items from a long chat log—the local model is fast and private.
  • Power users and developers: You can switch between local and cloud inference and measure which mode fits your workflow. Local inference often feels faster because it avoids network latency, but complex reasoning or multi‑document summaries may still work better in the cloud. Benchmark both on your hardware.
  • IT and security teams: The local path reduces the risk of data egress, but you still need to manage model provisioning, update channels, and the cloud toggle. New device policies may be necessary to enforce local‑only or block the feature entirely. DLP rules should be updated to handle AI‑generated content that flows through Notepad.

A big shift for privacy and productivity

Moving inference to the device changes the privacy calculus. Because text doesn’t leave the machine, there’s no cloud exposure during local use. That can ease compliance in regulated industries and reassure users who are uncomfortable with cloud AI.

But the change also introduces new responsibilities. The model binaries and runtimes are provisioned and updated through Microsoft or OEM channels, which means administrators must treat those channels as part of the update trust surface. Microsoft hasn’t published granular details about the local model’s architecture, parameter count, or exact resource usage, making it harder for governance teams to assess hallucination risks or forensic audit trails.

For enterprises, this means a pilot is essential. Test on representative Copilot+ hardware: measure CPU/NPU utilization, latency, thermal behavior, and battery drain during common Notepad AI tasks. Decide whether to allow cloud toggling and enforce human review of AI‑generated text in regulated outputs.

How we got here

Notepad’s journey from bare‑bones editor to AI‑assisted writing tool has been methodical. Over the past two years, Microsoft added tabs, spellcheck, and dark mode, then layered on Copilot‑style suggestions that required cloud inference and a Microsoft account. Early AI helpers burned Microsoft 365 credits.

The September 2025 Insider update breaks that mold. By tying the feature to Copilot+ hardware rather than a subscription, Microsoft rewards device partners who ship capable NPUs and lowers the barrier for users who want AI without cloud hooks. It’s part of a broader hybrid‑AI trend: Apple, Google, and open‑source projects are all pushing on‑device models for routine tasks while leaving heavy lifting to the cloud.

How to start using Notepad’s AI today

If you’re an Insider, you can try the new tools now:

  1. Join the Canary or Dev channel of the Windows Insider Program and install the latest app updates from the Microsoft Store.
  2. Verify your device is Copilot+ certified. Check your OEM’s documentation or the system’s NPU driver status. Minimum requirements usually include a modern CPU, 256 GB storage, and an NPU rated at 40+ TOPS.
  3. Open Notepad, select some text, or place your cursor. Click the Copilot menu, right‑click, or use the assigned keyboard shortcut to choose Summarize, Write, or Rewrite.
  4. Toggle between local and cloud if you have a subscription. The menu lets you compare outputs directly.

Microsoft asks Insiders to submit feedback through the Feedback Hub under Apps > Notepad. This is the best way to influence the final behaviour and report issues on your specific hardware.

What comes next

Microsoft will monitor Insider feedback and gradually expand the rollout to the Release Preview channel, then to all Windows 11 users with eligible hardware. Expect the UI labels, keyboard shortcuts, and model behaviour to evolve. Enterprise controls—group policies, MDM settings—should arrive alongside the stable release as administrators demand granular governance.

In the longer term, this move signals where Windows AI is heading: hybrid, device‑centric, and less dependent on subscriptions. As on‑device models improve, expect more inbox apps to follow Notepad’s lead. For now, the offline AI in Notepad is a practical test of whether local inference can handle everyday writing jobs without straining the hardware—or user patience.