Windows Notepad 2025 Update: AI Features and Markdown Support Revolutionize Text Editing

Microsoft's iconic Notepad, a staple of Windows since 1983, is receiving its most significant overhaul yet in the 2025 update. The lightweight text editor now supports rich formatting, Markdown syntax, and AI-powered writing assistance—features that blur the line between basic and advanced text editing while maintaining its signature simplicity.

The End of Plain Text: Notepad's Formatting Revolution

For decades, Notepad served as the go-to tool for editing unformatted text files, but the 2025 update introduces:

• Bold/Italic/Underline formatting via toolbar or keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+B/I/U)
• Font styling with live preview (finally breaking from the legacy System font)
• Hyperlink detection that converts URLs to clickable links automatically
• Text highlight colors for basic annotation needs

"We're preserving Notepad's lightweight nature while meeting modern user expectations," explained Microsoft's Sarah Johnson in a Windows Insider blog post. Early testing shows the editor adds only 2MB of additional memory usage with formatting enabled.

Markdown Support: A Productivity Game Changer

The headline feature is native Markdown support with:

Developers and technical writers can now draft README.md files directly in Notepad, with GitHub-flavored Markdown including:

- Task lists: [x] Completed item
- Tables with | pipe syntax
- Code blocks with ``` delimiters

AI-Powered Writing Tools

Notepad now integrates with Windows Copilot to offer:

• Smart autocomplete that suggests entire sentences
• Grammar refinement with explainable corrections
• Text summarization for pasted content (Ctrl+Shift+S)
• Code snippet generation for supported languages

Privacy-conscious users can disable AI features entirely via Settings > Privacy > Text Services.

Why This Matters: The WordPad Replacement Strategy

With Microsoft deprecating WordPad in 2024, Notepad's upgrade positions it as the built-in middle ground between basic and advanced editing. Key advantages over third-party alternatives:

1. Zero setup – Preinstalled on 1.4 billion Windows devices
2. Instant launch – Opens in <0.5 seconds on average hardware
3. System integration – Supports WinUI 3 dark mode and Mica material

Performance Benchmarks

Testing on a Surface Laptop 5 shows minimal overhead:

How to Get It Now

The update is rolling out to Windows Insiders in Build 26040+ (Dev Channel). To enable early:

1. Join Windows Insider Program
2. Navigate to Settings > Windows Update
3. Check for updates with "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" enabled

The Future of Minimalist Editing

This update redefines what users expect from built-in utilities. While some purists may lament the added complexity, the ability to toggle features off ensures Notepad remains versatile—whether you're editing config files or drafting your next blog post.