Microsoft Quietly Updates Notepad: Now It Rewrites Text with ChatGPT

Windows 11 users worldwide were caught off guard when they discovered a neural-powered Rewrite feature in Notepad—previously available only to US testers. The update to version 11.2412.16.0, released without an official announcement, has transformed the once-basic text editor into an AI-driven tool capable of modifying style, length, and structure.

Powered by a customized version of OpenAI’s GPT, the algorithm offers three variations for reworking selected text. Users can choose a tone—ranging from formal business language to a more ironic style—or even opt for formats like poetry or marketing slogans. Activating the feature is simple: just press Ctrl+I or click the magic wand icon.

Despite its apparent accessibility, the feature comes with hidden limitations. Users in the US, UK, and Canada receive a monthly quota of free requests, which depletes quickly. For full access, others must subscribe to both Microsoft 365 and Copilot Pro, raising concerns about the necessity of paid AI features in a basic text editor.

Experts point out that Rewrite falls significantly short of Copilot’s capabilities in Word, where AI can generate tables and structure documents. In Notepad, it merely provides surface-level sentence edits. The introduction of AI in Notepad has sparked debate—some see it as a step toward democratizing AI tools, while others criticize it as excessive monetization. As Microsoft experiments with a hybrid access model, users must decide whether automated rephrasing is worth paying for in an app that has functioned without cloud features for decades.