Watch out, Windows Notepad users: Here comes AI

Were you thinking Microsoft has added AI to virtually its entire software lineup except for Notepad? Well, here comes an update to prove you wrong.

Now rolling out to Windows Insiders in Windows 11 is a new Rewrite option for Notepad that promises to spruce up your text with the help of AI. Using an AI model called GPT, Rewrite can revise sentences, modify the tone, or alter the length of your text, explains Microsoft.

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To take Rewrite for a spin, you'll need the latest Canary or Dev build on Windows 11. Assuming you're already registered with the Windows Insider program with either of these builds, head to Settings, select Windows Update, and click the button for Check for Updates.

You should also make sure you're running the latest version of Notepad. For that, open the Microsoft Store app, click the icon for Downloads, and then update all your installed apps.

Further, you'll need to be signed into Windows with the Microsoft account registered with the Insider program. Microsoft says that's because Rewrite is a cloud-based service that requires authentication and access to the AI credits necessary for generating content.

Now, fire up Notepad and type some text you want to revise, anything from a couple of words to an entire document. Right-click on the selected text and choose Rewrite, select the Rewrite button on the toolbar, or press Ctrl + I. Next, tell Rewrite how to handle the revision. You can choose among different options, such as making the text longer or shorter, switching the tone between casual and professional, and even modifying the overall format.

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In response, the AI overhauls your text and generates three versions of the rewrite. Check each version to find the one you prefer. If you don't like any of them, tweak the settings and try again. When a suitable draft finally pops up, apply the changes to your original text.

The AI credits that Microsoft doles out for Rewrite vary based on a couple of factors.

Those of you in the US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, and Germany start with 50 credits. Subscribers to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family get 60 credits per month, an option that also includes people in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Copilot Pro users get "extensive use of AI features," which sounds like Microsoft speak for unlimited use. The AI credits are accepted not just in Notepad but in other Microsoft products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Forms, Designer, Photos, and Paint.

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If you chew up your monthly allotment of credits, you can purchase more but only by subscribing to Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro. Otherwise, the credits are automatically replenished at the start of each month.

With the Rewrite feature currently limited to the Dev or Canary Windows 11 insider builds, we'll likely have to wait at least a few months before the option pops up in the standard version of Notepad.