Microsoft has announced that it is rolling out updates to the Notepad and Snipping Tool applications for Windows on Windows 11 Insider Preview’s Canary and Dev channels. The latest updates bring AI-powered features, allowing these apps to offer more convenience and productivity than before.
Starting with the update to Notepad, it bumps the app’s version to 11.2401.25.0 and brings a feature called “Explain with Copilot.” It appears when you select a line of text and right-click on it. With this feature “you can ask Copilot in Windows to help explain log files, code segments, or any selected content directly from within Notepad.”
Coming to the update to Snipping Tool, it bumps the app’s version to 11.2401.32.0 and brings the “ability to add shapes to captures in Snipping Tool, so that you can quickly add rectangles, ovals, lines, and arrows to mark up your screenshots.” To use this feature, you have to select the new shapes button in the toolbar.
Microsoft is offering these features as a part of the company’s plan to charge Windows 11 with AI features with the next big update to the OS, which is version 24H2. The company started rolling out the new build to the Canary and Dev channels last week. Expect it to become available to the public later this year.
