Microsoft Adds Image Support to Windows Notepad

Microsoft is developing image support for its longstanding Windows Notepad application, a feature that will allow users to insert images directly into documents, according to company sources. The addition, spotted in early testing stages among Windows Insiders, marks another step in the app's evolution from a basic text editor to a more versatile tool. The update is expected to reach all Windows 11 users sometime in spring 2025.

The new capability emerges in the wake of Microsoft's decision last year to discontinue WordPad, a lightweight word processor that long included image insertion alongside basic formatting. With WordPad removed in the Windows 11 24H2 update, the company has shifted focus to enhancing Notepad, integrating features once unique to its predecessor. Sources familiar with the development told reporters that the image support ties into Notepad's existing Markdown functionality, which enables richer text handling without significantly affecting the app's performance. In internal tests, Microsoft engineers reported that the feature maintains the editor's quick response times, even when combined with other recent additions.

For now, the image button appears in the...