Microsoft just did something unexpected with its oldest app: Notepad can now reason like a modern AI, entirely on your device. Starting with a preview for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, Notepad’s new local AI capabilities let you rewrite, summarize, and generate text without sending a single word to the cloud. No Microsoft account, no subscription, no internet connection required—just a Copilot+ PC with a qualifying neural processing unit (NPU).
This isn’t a cloud feature dressed up with a local coat of paint. When you choose the on-device model, Notepad spins up a compact language model right on your PC’s NPU. That means your text stays put, processed in real time, even if Wi‑Fi is turned off. The update marks a turning point for Windows: a core inbox app shifting from a cloud-dependent assistant to a privacy‑first, hardware‑empowered tool.
A closer look at the new Notepad AI tools
The update gives Notepad three AI-powered tools that work directly on your text:
- Write: Place your cursor and describe what you need, or highlight existing content and ask Notepad to expand it. The model drafts fresh text from your prompt—everything from meeting notes to a first draft of a tricky email.
- Rewrite: Select any paragraph and let Notepad rephrase it. You can adjust the tone (formal, casual, persuasive), change the length, or simply ask for a clearer version. Multiple variants are offered so you pick the one that fits.
- Summarize: Highlight a long document, a web pasted text, or meeting notes, and ask for a short, medium, or long summary. Useful for boiling down a page of notes into three bullet points.
All three functions live in a new Copilot menu in Notepad’s toolbar, and some are also accessible via right‑click or keyboard shortcuts. The UI is simple and stays out of the way—Notepad hasn’t become a bloated writing suite.
What this means for you—and the PC you’ll need
The catch? You’ll need a Copilot+ PC. Microsoft defines that as a Windows 11 machine with an NPU capable of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). That currently includes Snapdragon X-series processors, selected Intel Core Ultra variants, and certain AMD Ryzen AI models. Most laptops sold as “AI PCs” before 2024 won’t make the cut. If you bought a thin-and-light last year with an “AI‑ready” sticker, don’t be surprised if the feature is greyed out.
For home users: The immediate win is privacy and simplicity. You don’t have to log in, you don’t eat into any AI credit limits, and your text never leaves the laptop. Draft a legal letter, rephrase a breakup text, or summarize a novel’s worth of notes—all offline. If you need deeper knowledge or the latest web information, you can still toggle to the cloud model, assuming you’re signed in with a Microsoft 365 subscription. But for most everyday writing, the local model does the job.
For power users and creators: The hybrid switch is the star. Write a quick draft locally while you’re on a plane, then later tap into the cloud model to pull in up‑to‑date facts or get a more nuanced rewrite. The local model is smaller and won’t win any Turing tests, but it’s responsive and sufficient for light lifting. It’s also a great way to avoid draining cloud credits when you’re just tweaking a sentence.
For IT administrators: This is a meaningful step toward deployable, secure AI. On‑device processing means sensitive corporate documents can be revised without leaving the device—ideal for air‑gapped or high‑security environments. Group Policy and MDM can control whether local models are allowed, which models get provisioned, and how updates are handled. Microsoft is likely to expand these controls as the feature moves toward general availability, but early indications suggest admins will have the levers they need to lock things down.
One caution: even local inference isn’t a black box. The model files themselves are downloaded from Microsoft’s servers, and telemetry about model health and usage may still be collected unless you’ve hardened your device. Check your organization’s compliance requirements and, in preview, assume that telemetry defaults lean toward “on.”
Performance and battery trade‑offs
Running a language model on an NPU is efficient, but it isn’t free. Short generations feel instantaneous, but sustained use can warm up your laptop and drain the battery faster. The on-device model is optimized for size—typically a few hundred megabytes to a couple of gigabytes—so it won’t match the depth of a cloud‑giant like GPT‑4. Storage‑conscious users should also note that model files can eat up precious SSD space; you may be prompted to remove older models after updates.
How Notepad went from plain text to AI text engine
Notepad has been around since Windows 1.0, but the last two years have rewritten its job description. Microsoft added tabs, spell check, dark mode, and basic formatting. Then, in early 2024, Notepad gained cloud‑based Copilot integration: Rewrite, Summarize, and Explain. Those features required a Microsoft account and, eventually, a subscription or credit system in some regions. They worked well but were tethered to the cloud.
Behind the scenes, Microsoft was building a new class of PC: Copilot+. Launched in mid‑2024, the concept pairs Windows 11 with NPUs that can run optimized local models for search, creative apps, and now Notepad. The company wanted an answer to Apple’s Neural Engine and Google’s TPU‑backed Pixel features, and it needed a consistent hardware floor to make on‑device AI feel snappy. The 40 TOPS threshold was chosen so that common tasks—rewriting, summarizing, generating—feel instantaneous, not like a loading spinner.
The Notepad update is the first time an inbox Windows app has delivered on that promise for plain‑text generation. It’s also a testbed: if users embrace local AI in a humble text editor, expect the same model‑switching approach to appear in Paint, Photos, and other utilities.
What to do right now
If you have a Copilot+ PC and don’t mind a little instability, you can test the feature today:
- Join the Windows Insider Program. Enroll your device in the Dev or Canary channel. (Canary gets features first but can be buggier.)
- Update Windows and Notepad. After joining, check for OS updates and also update Notepad from the Microsoft Store to make sure you have the latest version.
- Open Notepad and look for the Copilot icon in the toolbar. If you don’t see it, ensure your PC is recognized as a Copilot+ model (Settings > System > About should hint at the NPU).
- Try a local‑only task. Turn off Wi‑Fi or choose “Local model” from the dropdown, then type a prompt in Write or select text for Rewrite/Summarize.
Shortcut mappings and exact UI labels may vary across Insider builds. When in doubt, right‑click on text: the context menu will show the available AI commands.
If you’re not on the Insider track, sit tight. Microsoft typically moves these features from Canary to the general release channel within a few weeks or months, depending on feedback and stability. Also, watch for an official hardware compatibility list—not every device with an NPU meets the 40 TOPS bar, so double‑check before you buy.
Outlook: local AI becomes a Windows pillar
The Notepad update is more than a convenience. It signals that Microsoft sees on‑device AI as a common‑denominator feature for Windows 11, not just a premium add‑on. In the long run, this hybrid approach—local for privacy and speed, cloud for power—could define how we interact with all types of content on a PC. The next logical steps: tighter integration with File Explorer for local document summarization, or a system‑wide rewrite tool that works in any text field.
For now, the practical takeaway is clear: if you want the newest AI features without surrendering your text to a server, a Copilot+ PC is the entry ticket. And Notepad, of all apps, is the one handing it out.