Copilot in Notepad Coming to Windows 11
Microsoft continues the trend of gradually releasing new Windows 11 features to Windows Insiders. The newest advanced features coming to the PC operating system bring artificial intelligence capabilities to Notepad, and also add some additional options to the Snipping Tool, Windows 11’s default screenshot tool.
Both of these apps are the backbone of Windows 11, so it’s no surprise that Microsoft is paying a little more attention to them. The company revealed the upcoming changes in a post on the Insiders blog, revealing that Snipping Tool version 11.2401.32.0 will allow you to add shapes to captured images. This means you’ll be able to add arrows, ovals, lines, and rectangles to highlight specific parts of your screenshots. This will likely be useful for users who want to make it easier to add annotations to screenshots.
Other new features will appear in Notepad version 11.2401.25.0. With this latest update, Microsoft is adding Copilot capability to the beloved note-taking app. You’ll now be able to highlight articles and select “Explain with Copilot” to get more information about files, code segments, and any other content you’ve selected directly from Notepad.
You can try explaining with Copilot by selecting the text you want to explain and then right-clicking and selecting “Explain with Copilot” from the drop-down list. Alternatively, you can use the new keyboard shortcut Ctrl + E to activate the new system.
According to Microsoft, there is currently a bug that prevents some users from immediately seeing new features in Notepad, even after updating to the latest version. The company says it is working to resolve the problem.
Unfortunately, the new features are currently only available to Windows Insiders. If you’re already an Insider, you’ll need to make sure you’re on the Canary or Dev Channel to take advantage of these features. If you haven’t joined yet but want to get an early look at new Windows features, learn how to become a Windows Insider .