Microsoft has rolled out its much-anticipated “Create a table” feature for Notepad, initially tested with Windows Insiders in November 2025, now available to all Windows 11 users. For those equipped with a Copilot+ PC, Notepad has also introduced a new AI text streaming capability, reminiscent of the real-time typing display seen in ChatGPT. This innovative feature is set to extend to all PCs, including non-AI models, in the near future.
The process of creating a table in Notepad is refreshingly straightforward, designed with user-friendliness in mind. Unlike the more complex table functionalities found in MS Word, Notepad’s new feature caters to basic needs without overwhelming users. Its lightweight design utilizes Markdown-style formatting, making it an efficient tool for quick tasks.
When you create a table in Notepad, it is stored as plain text in Markdown format. Users can easily add rows or columns; inserting a column simply adds another | … | cell segment to each existing row, while a new row is represented by an additional | … | line at the bottom. During testing, Windows Latest discovered that clicking the new Table button on the formatting toolbar reveals a grid picker, allowing users to visually select the desired number of rows and columns or input the exact counts directly.
Once a table is created, users can click into individual cells to type normally, applying various formatting options such as bold, italic, and underline, as well as adding hyperlinks. Notably, this feature maintains the essence of Notepad, ensuring that it does not burden system resources with additional CPU or RAM usage. The table content remains in a simple .txt file format.
Notepad also offers intuitive controls for managing tables. Right-clicking within a table provides options to insert or delete rows and columns, or even remove the table entirely. Users can select specific rows, columns, or the entire table without the hassle of manual dragging. For those who may inadvertently create a disorganized table, the “Fit columns to window width” option helps optimize space, eliminating the need for precise alignment with the text body.
Notepad’s Create a table feature is enabled by default, but you can disable it
The Create a table feature in Notepad is enabled by default, though users have the option to disable markdown formatting, which will remove tables along with other text formatting capabilities such as bold, italic, and underline. Additionally, users can turn off Copilot features linked to Microsoft 365 Copilot through the Settings menu.
For those utilizing a Copilot+ PC, the new AI text streaming feature enhances the Notepad experience. Users can right-click within Notepad, select ‘Write,’ and generate text while observing real-time responses. Previously, text generation in Notepad would only display completed answers after processing, but this update aligns Notepad more closely with the interactive nature of AI chatbots like ChatGPT. While currently exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, this feature is expected to be available on non-AI PCs in the coming weeks or months.
