Microsoft Notepad and Paint are getting new AI features, for some reason
Microsoft has officially confirmed the rollout of new updates to its out-of-box Notepad and Paint applications for Windows 11, specifically for Windows Insiders currently in the Canary and Dev Channels of the PC operating system.
Notepad version 11.2512.10.0 arrives with a new Markdown syntax feature in the form of text strikethrough and nested lists. The former can be accessed via a dedicated button within the menu bar or via the Ctrl + Shift + X keyboard shortcut, while the latter lives within the ‘H1’ menu button and offers ‘Increase indent’ and ‘Decrease indent’ drop-down options. A new welcome experience is also present in this app build, and AI text results within the app will appear quicker and more fluidly, too.
Paint version 11.2512.191.0 introduces a new fill tolerance slider for more precise control over how the Fill tool applies color to your canvas. This slider appears automatically on the left-hand side of the screen whenever the Fill tool is selected from the app’s ribbon interface. A new AI-powered Coloring book feature is also here; it’s exclusive to Copilot+ PC users, and it allows you to submit a text prompt and have auto-generated coloring book pages be churned out in response.
Both application updates are still in testing via the Windows Insider Program, and so the new features and enhancements within them could change or be removed at any point in time. Microsoft hasn’t committed to any time frame for when we might see these updates go live for users of stable Windows 11, but I’d expect them to be seeded to the broader public within the next couple of months (assuming no major bugs that need addressing are uncovered between now and then).
Other Windows 11 apps deserve love too
Notepad and Paint are great and all, but it’s high time Microsoft improved its other in-box apps
Credit: Microsoft / Pocket-lint
Ever since the release of Windows 11 in 2021, Microsoft’s dedicated Windows Inbox Apps team has been slowly improving the out-of-box experience across several system applications, most notably including Notepad, Paint, Snipping Tool, and Photos, and the Microsoft Store itself.
For the most part, these updates have been much appreciated — prior to the release of Windows 11, these apps were in desperate need of modernization. To Microsoft’s credit, the essentials have been successfully brought up to speed with updated UI elements, much-needed power user features, and other enhancements.
That being said, I fear Microsoft’s newfound obsession with AI is on track to do more harm than good when it comes to apps like Notepad and Paint. Now that these apps are relatively up to snuff on the basics, the company has pivoted to infusing them with generative AI features of dubious quality. AI has proven itself controversial in the PC space, and so extra Copilot buttons may rub users the wrong way when they’re just trying to, say, jot down a quick note and get on with it.
If Microsoft wants third-party developers to take the modern Windows platform seriously, it needs to lead the charge with first-rate applications.
For me, there’s an even more glaring issue here when it comes to Microsoft’s in-box app update efforts: much to my chagrin, the company is privileging some programs over others. Windows 11’s Weather application is a hot mess in 2026, and the News app isn’t far behind, either. Other apps like Windows Security and Media Player are in serious need of revamps, and don’t even get me started on the atrociously bad web-based Outlook app experience.
If Microsoft wants third-party developers to take the modern Windows platform seriously, it needs to lead the charge with first-rate applications of its own making. In my estimation, Notepad, Paint, and Snipping Tool have reached this threshold. It’s time to lay off the AI, Microsoft, and start improving the fundamentals of Weather, Outlook, et al.
