Paint, Notepad, and Scissors get a big update in Windows 11

Microsoft is expanding the functionality of standard Windows 11 applications, adding new features to Notepad, Paint and Scissors.

Notepad

The application now has AI tools for summarizing, correspondence and text generation. These features are available for free to Copilot+ PC owners, and users with a Microsoft 365 subscription will be able to switch between local and cloud models. If you do not have a subscription, you can work with the local model. So far, only English is supported. If you wish, you can disable the AI ​​​​function in the settings or uninstall the application, returning to the classic notepad.exe.

Paint

Paint in version 11.2508.361.0 has received two notable improvements. Now you can save your drawings as .paint projects with all layers preserved to continue working on them later or on another device. A transparency slider has also been added for the pencil and brushes, allowing you to create more realistic strokes and smooth color transitions.

Scissors

The Snipping Tool (version 11.2508.24.0) has received the Quick Markup feature. It allows you to leave marks right when creating a screenshot before saving it. It is activated by the combination Win+Shift+S with the Quick Markup option (or Ctrl+E). Among the tools are a pen, highlighter, eraser, shapes, and even emojis. In addition, you can change the selection area, share the screenshot, launch a visual search in Bing, or use Copilot.

The update is already rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels, and is also available in the Windows 11 25H2 build in Release Preview.