It’s always a good day when Windows’ default apps get updates. Brand-new versions of apps like Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad are coming, and they have a healthy amount of new features you need to check out.
Microsoft is rolling out significant updates for several of its classic, built-in Windows 11 apps. Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad are due to get a nice subset of new features on your PC sometime soon. I say “sometime soon” because these changes are, at least for now, rolling out for Insiders, so you won’t be able to check them out just yet. Still, you’ll want to once you know what they’re about.
First off, on Microsoft Paint (version 11.2508.361.0), we’re gaining two features that further move it in the direction Microsoft wants it to go—less of an extremely basic image editor and more something capable to compete with Photoshop. We now have editable project files for that. You can now save your work via a “Save as project” option, creating a .paint file. This new format allows artists and creators to close a project and reopen it later with all elements intact, ready for further editing. Paint’s traditional workflow flattened images into formats like PNG or JPG upon saving, making subsequent edits difficult.
We also now have an opacity slider that gives you direct control over the transparency of the Pencil and Brush tools. By adjusting the opacity, it becomes possible to create layered effects, blend colors smoothly, and add depth to illustrations directly within the app. Pretty cool.
On Snipping Tool, we now have a “Quick markup” feature that’s activated via a new button in the capture toolbar or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + E. This function allows for immediate editing of a screenshot you just took. After selecting a screen region, a small toolbar appears directly on the selection, eliminating the need to open the full editor window for simple edits.
This Quick markup toolbar provides essential tools like a pen, highlighter, eraser, shapes, and emojis, allowing you to circle, highlight, or add notes instantly. The selection can also be re-cropped on the fly using the surrounding grab handles. Furthermore, the toolbar integrates buttons to directly share, perform a Visual Search with Bing, or send the image to Copilot.
Finally, for the 12 of you that have a Copilot+ PC, Notepad is being enhanced with on-device AI features. The simple text editor will now support functions like “Summarize,” “Write,” and “Rewrite.” These AI tasks are processed by a local model on the device, meaning they are available without an active internet connection or a subscription. For those who do have a subscription, Notepad provides the flexibility to switch between the local model and more powerful cloud-based AI models.
All of these features are currently rolling out for Insiders, and they will, more than likely, become available for regular users within the next few weeks or months. Keep an eye out for an update coming soon.
Source: Microsoft
