Microsoft’s Notepad has undergone significant enhancements in recent months, primarily driven by the company’s commitment to integrating Copilot across its applications. However, this modernization has led to an overcrowded right-click menu, prompting Microsoft to acknowledge the need for a more streamlined user experience. In response, the company is currently testing a new, clutter-free user interface for Notepad’s context menu, which bears a resemblance to the more familiar layout found in File Explorer.
The existing context menu in Notepad has become unwieldy, featuring an array of options that can overwhelm users, particularly those who prefer a minimalist approach. The menu, which now includes various Copilot-related features, has expanded to the point where it can dwarf the Notepad window itself when minimized. This extensive list includes not only the essential cut, copy, and paste functions but also additional features such as “Define with Bing,” “Write/Rewrite/Customized Re-write,” “summarise,” and “spelling,” all of which contribute to a cumbersome user experience, especially on smaller screens.
In a bid to rectify this, Microsoft is rolling out a more compact UI for the right-click menu. While the new design will retain some of the less frequently used options—such as those related to Bing—common actions have been prioritized and relocated to a prominent top row, separated by a divider. This adjustment not only reduces the overall size of the context menu but also aligns it more closely with the streamlined design of File Explorer’s context menu.
Within this new layout, essential functions like cut, copy, paste, select all, undo, and delete are now easily accessible in a single row, each accompanied by large, intuitive icons that convey their purpose at a glance. For users who may be new to technology or require accessibility features, these actions are also clearly labeled with text, ensuring that even the scissor icon for cut is accompanied by the word ‘cut’ for clarity.
Despite the improvements, some users may still find the integration of Bing and AI features in Windows 11 Notepad to be excessive. While the option to disable the Copilot shortcut is available, users are unable to completely remove options like “Define with Bing” or spelling suggestions, which may detract from the desired simplicity of the context menu.
Notepad has markdown support
In addition to the context menu overhaul, Microsoft has introduced lightweight formatting capabilities, known as “markdown,” to Notepad. This feature allows users to effortlessly transform text into various formats, including headlines and bullet points. By selecting the new formatting toolbar, users can apply options such as bold, italic, underline, and even hyperlinks with ease. The formatting is automatically applied to any selected text, enhancing the overall functionality of Notepad.
For those who prefer a more straightforward interface, the formatting toolbar can be toggled off, providing a customizable experience that caters to individual preferences. As Microsoft continues to refine Notepad, users are encouraged to share their thoughts on further improvements they would like to see in this beloved text editor.
