Soon it will be possible to paste images into Windows Notepad. The text editor is increasingly starting to resemble the discontinued WordPad.
Microsoft is adding image support to Windows Notepad. Windows Latest has confirmed this with sources at Microsoft. This is the next step for Notepad, following the addition of text formatting via Markdown and the (un)necessary AI functionality, such as Copilot integration within the app.
Image support is currently being tested internally. According to Windows Latest, tests have shown that adding images has no impact on Notepad’s overall performance. As a result, a broader rollout likely won’t be far off. You can enable or disable formatting features in Notepad via the settings.
From replacement to copy
The Notepad app is undergoing significant changes. In earlier versions, Notepad was a very basic text editor. Long-time users aren’t always pleased with the latest additions, as they praised the text editor specifically for its simplicity.
The new features make Notepad look more and more like WordPad, the app that disappeared from Windows at the end of 2024. Microsoft retired WordPad after thirty years and promoted Notepad as one of the alternatives. That alternative is gradually becoming a copy to make people forget WordPad.
Notepad’s makeover also has a dark side. The addition of text formatting and clickable links offers new opportunities for hackers. Recently, a vulnerability came to light that allows remote code execution via Notepad by hiding malicious code behind links. However, the open-source alternative Notepad++ is also not immune to hacking attempts.