Microsoft Updates Notepad with Integrated Spellchecker for Windows 11

Microsoft Updates Notepad with Integrated Spellchecker for Windows 11
Image credit: threatpost

Microsoft has quietly released an updated version of its Notepad app for Windows 11, featuring an integrated spellchecker. This follows a test of the new Notepad app with spellchecking back in March.

Notepad, first introduced in 1983, remained largely unchanged for many years. However, recent updates have brought significant enhancements. Under Windows 10 and 11, Notepad received several updates, including wrap-around find/replace, text zooming, line numbers with word-wrap, and improved performance with large files.

The updates continued with Windows 11, launched in late 2021, adding features like dark mode compliance, auto-save/session restore, and a new tabbed interface for handling multiple files. The addition of spellcheck marks one of the most significant enhancements in years. 

Microsoft notepad spellchecking new features 
Image credit: Microsoft

The new spellchecking feature was introduced without much publicity, but users will notice it when misspelled words or unknown terms are highlighted with red wiggly lines. This feature is enabled by default for users of the latest Notepad on Windows 11.

While these enhancements are welcomed, experienced Windows users are cautious about potential feature creep. This concern is heightened by the discontinuation of WordPad, which had been a 'lite' word processor for 28 years. Microsoft suggested users switch to either Notepad or Word for text processing, making the addition of spellcheck to Notepad a surprising but appreciated update.