Microsoft is ruining Notepad with pointless formatting in Windows 11

Sigh. Microsoft just can’t leave well enough alone. The company is now injecting formatting features into Notepad, a program that has long been appreciated for one thing -- its simplicity. You see, starting with version 11.2504.50.0, this update is rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, and it adds bold text, italics, hyperlinks, lists, and even headers.

Sadly, this isn’t a joke. Notepad is actually being turned into a watered-down word processor, complete with a formatting toolbar and Markdown support. Users can even toggle between styled content and raw Markdown syntax. And while Microsoft is giving you the option to disable formatting or strip it all out, it’s clear the direction of the app is changing.

It’s hard not to feel like this is a solution in search of a problem. Notepad has always been the go-to place to jot something down fast, open a config file without clutter, or write code without distractions. Now, it risks turning into yet another bloated Windows utility weighed down by features most users never asked for.

Yes, some might appreciate the convenience of light formatting tools, but why add this to Notepad instead of improving WordPad or making a new app entirely? Microsoft already killed off WordPad and now it seems like it wants to slowly morph Notepad into its replacement. Microsoft doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “less is more.”

This update is free, of course (it’s still part of Windows 11) but simplicity might be what ends up costing the most. If this keeps up, users who value a no-frills editor might be forced to look elsewhere.