Microsoft's plain text editor gets fancy as Notepad gains formatting options

Microsoft is updating Notepad again. The latest indignity for the veteran Windows text wrangler? Text formatting.

Windows used to have an editor with formatting functionality, an application called "WordPad" that was ejected from the operating system in 2024. It had a predecessor called "Write," which could also do some rudimentary formatting, but Notepad has always been about editing plain text. Until it wasn't.

The update that landed at the end of last month adds some toolbar options to Notepad and supports bold and italic styling, hyperlinks, and support for simple lists and headings.

The changes are currently rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels, so there is a chance Microsoft might have a change of heart before inflicting it on ordinary users. However, we won't be holding our breath.

According to Microsoft, "The experience supports Markdown style input and files for users who prefer ...