Microsoft has started rolling out a significant update to Windows 11's Notepad app, adding on-device AI capabilities that can summarize, rewrite, and generate text entirely locally on qualifying Copilot+ PCs — with no Microsoft account or subscription required. The update, version 11.2508.28.0, began hitting Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels earlier this week, alongside companion updates to Paint and Snipping Tool.
What Actually Changed in Notepad
The core addition is a trio of AI-powered text actions now accessible directly within Notepad's interface. These are not cloud-only features; they leverage a local model runtime on devices that meet Microsoft's Copilot+ PC certification.
- Summarize: Highlight a block of text and choose Summarize to condense it into a short, medium, or long abstract. This works on meeting notes, log files, or any lengthy selection you need to parse quickly.
- Write: Generate new text from scratch by typing a prompt into the Copilot menu, or expand a brief fragment into paragraphs, lists, or templates. It's a quick way to draft an email outline or flesh out an idea without leaving the editor.
- Rewrite: Select existing text and pick Rewrite to adjust tone, formality, or length. The feature returns multiple variant suggestions, letting you polish a sentence or adapt a paragraph for a different audience.
All three functions appear in the Copilot menu, the right-click context menu, and—in some Insider builds—via keyboard shortcuts. The design intention is to keep you inside Notepad, eliminating the need to switch to a browser or another app for simple writing assistance.
The local AI path is only available on Copilot+ PCs, a device class defined by an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of delivering around 40+ trillion operations per second (TOPS). Qualifying silicon families include Snapdragon X-series SoCs, certain Intel Core Ultra processors, and AMD Ryzen AI chips on certified SKUs. If your device isn't Copilot+ certified, you can still use the cloud-powered versions of these features, but they require a Microsoft account and a Microsoft 365 subscription.
When a Copilot+ PC is logged-in with a subscription, users can switch between the local and cloud models. Microsoft's Insider announcement confirms that the local model supports only English at this stage; multilingual tasks will fall back to the cloud.
In the same Insider flight, Paint (version 11.2508.361.0) gained Project Files—letting you save and reopen working canvases—and an Opacity slider for brush and pencil tools. Snipping Tool (version 11.2508.24.0) introduced a Quick markup toolbar directly in the capture overlay, with pen, highlighter, shapes, and quick-access buttons for Visual Search and Ask Copilot.
What This Means for You
The arrival of on-device AI in Notepad impacts different users in distinct ways. Here's a breakdown by audience.
For Everyday Users
If you own a Copilot+ PC, you gain a fast, private writing assistant that doesn't require signing in or paying for a subscription. The features are designed for small, frequent tasks: turning jotted notes into a clean summary, adjusting the tone of a paragraph before pasting it into an email, or generating a quick draft. The local processing means your text doesn't leave the device for these operations, which is a meaningful privacy advantage when you're handling sensitive information.
If you don't own a Copilot+ PC, the AI tools are still available, but they'll rely on Microsoft's cloud infrastructure and will require a Microsoft 365 subscription. That means you'll experience a round-trip latency, and your text will be processed on remote servers.
For Power Users
Local inference promises near-instant responses for routine edits, which can materially speed up iterative writing. You can experiment with the two available models—local versus cloud—to see which offers the best balance of speed and output quality for your specific tasks. The new features also open up simple automation possibilities: for example, using Notepad as a staging area for summarization before moving content into a formal document or presentation.
For IT Administrators and Enterprise Decision-Makers
The Notepad update sharpens several governance concerns. On one hand, local inference reduces network egress for selected actions and lowers the risk of data exposure during transit. On the other hand, model provisioning requires downloading binaries and weight files to endpoints, creating an operational surface that must be managed. You'll need to verify that your data loss prevention (DLP) policies interact correctly with the new AI workflows, and assess whether the Snipping Tool's Quick markup features alter clipboard or autosave behaviors in ways that could violate compliance rules.
Hardware stratification is another consideration. Users on Copilot+ PCs get a subscription-free AI experience; everyone else remains gated behind a Microsoft 365 subscription and cloud dependencies. This creates a tiered user experience within your organization, which may affect budgeting, refresh cycles, and software procurement decisions.
How We Got Here
Microsoft's decision to embed generative AI into Notepad is the latest step in a multi-year campaign to modernize the inbox apps that ship with Windows. Notepad—long prized for its no-frills nature and instant launch speed—has gradually accumulated new capabilities. Tabs arrived in early 2023, followed by rudimentary spell-check and autocorrect. Each addition triggered debates about feature bloat, but Microsoft kept pushing, signaling that even the simplest utilities would become AI-aware.
The hybrid local/cloud architecture unveiled today mirrors the company's broader Copilot strategy. By requiring an NPU to unlock local inference, Microsoft ties a baseline of AI capability directly to hardware, incentivizing PC makers to ship Copilot+ certified devices. At the same time, cloud models remain the premium path for richer or multilingual outputs, preserving subscription revenue and cross-device continuity.
The Copilot+ PC initiative itself launched in mid-2024, defining a new class of laptops and desktops with dedicated AI accelerators. The Notepad update is one of the first inbox app features to explicitly gate functionality on that certification, illustrating how deeply Microsoft is willing to integrate AI hardware requirements into the everyday Windows experience.
What to Do Now
If you're eager to test Notepad's new AI features, follow these steps:
- Join Windows Insider: Enroll in either the Canary or Dev channel. Be aware that these are unstable builds; don't install them on your primary work machine unless you're comfortable with occasional bugs.
- Verify Copilot+ certification: Check your device manufacturer's documentation or system information panel. Simply having a recent CPU with an NPU doesn't guarantee Copilot+ status—OEMs must meet specific firmware and driver requirements.
- Update Notepad: Open the Microsoft Store, check for updates, and ensure you have version 11.2508.28.0 or later. If you're on an Insider build, the updated Notepad should arrive automatically.
- Try the features: Launch Notepad, type or paste some text, highlight it, and right-click to access Summarize, or use the Copilot menu for Write and Rewrite. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, test both the local and cloud models to compare output quality and latency.
Prefer the classic, minimal Notepad? Microsoft provides a toggle in the app's settings to disable the AI features and revert to a simpler editing surface.
For IT administrators, we recommend a deliberate pilot:
- Inventory eligible devices: Identify which endpoints are Copilot+ certified and thus capable of local inference.
- Test performance: Deploy the Insider build to a representative set of devices and evaluate NPU utilization, battery drain, and output accuracy under typical workloads.
- Review DLP and clipboard controls: Ensure that Quick markup and AI integrations don't inadvertently bypass existing data protection rules. Adjust policies if needed.
- Manage provisioning: If your organization uses mobile device management (MDM), explore controls to restrict whether local AI models can be downloaded or auto-updated on managed devices.
- Educate users: Remind staff that AI-generated outputs are assistive drafts and should be reviewed before external use.
Outlook
Microsoft has not yet committed to a timeline for broader rollout beyond Insiders, but the company typically tests features in the Dev and Canary channels for several weeks before pushing them to the Beta channel and eventually to the general public. The initial English-only restriction for local models suggests a staged approach to localization; broader language support will likely arrive only after the feature stabilizes.
Several technical unknowns remain. Microsoft has not published details on the local model's architecture, parameter count, disk footprint, or precise resource consumption. Without that information, it's difficult to predict performance on different Copilot+ hardware or to plan enterprise deployments confidently. We expect third-party benchmarks to fill the gap, but official documentation would accelerate trust.
The companion updates to Paint and Snipping Tool hint at a broader pattern: Microsoft is systematically embedding AI into every inbox app, no matter how small. Watch for similar on-device intelligence appearing in Calculator, Sticky Notes, and other Windows staples in the coming months.