Microsoft’s Notepad Enhancements
Microsoft is integrating artificial intelligence features into its straightforward Notepad application, which is primarily known for handling plain text and saving files in the .txt format. The newly introduced tool, named Rewrite, enables users to create alternate versions of text tailored to their specific requirements. Whether you need your text to be lengthened, shortened, or adjusted to a certain tone or style, this feature will provide you with three different options to choose from. If none of these variations meets your expectations, you can easily try again.
To use this feature, simply highlight the text you wish to modify and right-click your mouse or press Ctrl + I on your keyboard. This action will prompt a text box to appear, showcasing the alternative text options generated by the AI, as noted in Microsoft’s blog aimed at Windows Insider users.
Microsoft is not alone in its pursuit of enhancing writing through AI. The Rewrite function is akin to similar features found in Google Workspace, which includes Summarize and Refine, as well as the Help Me Write function available in ChromeOS.
Rewrite will be available as part of an upcoming software update for Notepad version 11.2410.15.0, specifically for Windows Insider users accessing the Canary and Dev Channels. It’s important to note that a Microsoft account is required to use the Rewrite feature in the Notepad preview. Initially, this feature will be accessible in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Additionally, users from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand who subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family or Copilot Pro can utilize AI credits to access Rewrite in Notepad.
As Rewrite is currently being released as a preview, there hasn’t been any announcement regarding its rollout as a fully-fledged feature. Beyond Rewrite, Microsoft also announced updates for Paint, introducing new functionalities such as Generative fill and Generative erase.
