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What are Windows 11 Notepad’s new AI and Markdown features, and do they slow down your PC?
Microsoft is repositioning Notepad in Windows 11 as more than a bare-bones editor, while keeping its core promise: fast plain text that stays lightweight. The new welcome screen signals that shift by pairing the classic “essential text editor” idea with optional formatting and AI-assisted writing.
What “elevated” means in practice
Notepad still opens quickly and still works for the same everyday jobs: quick notes, scratch text, and stripping formatting before pasting elsewhere. The change is that Microsoft now presents Notepad as a tool that can also help with structured writing and light formatting when needed.
That positioning matters because default apps shape habits. By adding features that many users previously reached for third-party editors to get, Microsoft aims to reduce the need to install another tool for simple workflows.
Optional AI features, with a clear off switch
The Copilot features in Notepad are optional. If Copilot is disabled in Notepad’s Settings, the AI tools disappear without requiring a restart, which keeps the experience simple for users who want classic Notepad behavior.
AI usage also requires signing in with a Microsoft account. That requirement is a practical gate: it ties access to cloud-backed capabilities and gives Microsoft a way to manage identity, policy, and service limits.
AI “streaming” output expands beyond Copilot+ PCs
Notepad’s AI now supports streaming text output, meaning results appear as the system generates them rather than arriving all at once at the end. This mirrors the interaction pattern people expect from modern AI chat tools, and it makes longer outputs feel faster because users can start reading immediately.
This streaming behavior is rolling out beyond Copilot+ PCs, so the experience is becoming consistent across a wider range of Windows 11 hardware.
Markdown support: lightweight formatting, more structure
Notepad now supports Markdown-style formatting, including items like tables and inline emphasis such as italic text. Microsoft also appears to be expanding Markdown syntax support with features such as nested lists and strikethrough, which helps users organize notes without moving to a heavier editor.
Microsoft describes this as “lightweight formatting,” and the intent is clear: provide structure without turning Notepad into a resource-heavy app. Early performance observations indicate these features do not meaningfully increase system resource usage in typical note-taking scenarios.