Key Takeaways
- Microsoft adds a spell checker and autocorrect to Notepad.
- Features spotted on Windows 11 main branch, previously seen in March.
- Useful for quick note-taking, can disable spell checker for programming.
No matter what, Notepad is always there. If you don’t have Office installed on your PC, you have no internet connection for online like Google Docs, and you really don’t feel like putting pen to paper, you can always boot up Notepad on a Windows machine and jot down stuff there. It may not be the best word processor ever, but it’s definitely reliable. Now, Microsoft has added two new features to the 41-year-old app, giving it some basic functionality after all this time.
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Microsoft adds a spell checker and autocorrect to Notepad
At the time of writing, Microsoft hasn’t made an announcement that Notepad has gotten an update. However, Tom’s Hardware has spotted the new additions arriving on the main branch of Windows 11. We first saw this feature back in March, when PhantomOfEarth uncovered the tools in a preview build; now, they’re both done with testing and ready for general use.
The spell checker and autocorrect tools are about as exciting as you’d expect. The app adds a red jagged line under anything that’s spelled wrong, and you can right-click it to see suggestions. If you use Notepad for programming, you can disable the spell checker to stop it labeling everything as incorrect. At the very least, the next time you’ve got a brainwave at 3 am and need to note things down ASAP, you won’t wake up in the morning to an incoherent mess.
If you fancy something a little beefier than Notepad but don’t want a full-blown word processor, you can download Notepad++ for more features. Or, if you’re sick and tired of productivity apps, our very own Asad Khan wrote a piece on his simple system that so happens to include the original Notepad app.