Exciting new formatting tools for Notepad

When was the last time you opened Notepad and thought, “I wish I could make this text bold or add a heading”?

Probably never, right?

However, Microsoft is quietly upgrading Notepad, which could make a surprising difference. This is particularly beneficial for those who use it for jotting down quick notes, meeting minutes, or team checklists.

Notepad has always been the simplest tool. It opens instantly, saves quickly, and doesn’t interfere with your work. That’s precisely why so many people love it.

Now, Microsoft is testing a few formatting features. These include bold and italic text, hyperlinks, headings, and even basic bullet points.

The goal is to provide just enough control to make notes clearer without turning Notepad into a full-fledged word processor.

The formatting is based on markdown, a widely used, straightforward way to add structure to plain text using simple symbols. For example, placing a couple of asterisks around a word makes it bold.

It’s neat, clean, and doesn’t add the heaviness associated with Word or other large editing tools. And if formatting isn’t your preference? No worries. It can be completely turned off.

Some people fear that adding such features might bloat the app and slow it down. But in this case, the changes are minimal and optional. It’s more like giving your notebook a nicer pen, not turning it into a printing press.

With WordPad now officially retired, there’s certainly a gap for a tool that sits between “plain text” and “full document.”

For businesses, especially smaller ones without complex documentation systems, this could serve as a handy middle ground. Enhancing note structure can save time and improve message clarity.

It's not flashy, but it's thoughtful.

It’s another small indication that Microsoft is modernizing even the most basic tools in Windows 11 without losing their original usefulness.

Watch for the update if you’re using Windows 11, and maybe try those bold headings next time you’re writing a to-do list.