Windows 11’s AI Makeover: Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad Get Smarter

Microsoft’s latest Insider updates hint at an AI-powered future for classic apps

Windows 11’s Canary and Dev Channel Insiders are getting a taste of Microsoft’s AI ambitions with major updates to three legacy apps: Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad. These aren’t just cosmetic tweaks—they’re transformative, AI-driven overhauls that blur the line between productivity and creativity. But there’s a catch: many features are locked behind Copilot+ PCs or Microsoft accounts, signaling the company’s push for hardware upgrades and cloud integration.

“This is Microsoft’s playbook—using familiar apps as Trojan horses for AI adoption,” says a developer familiar with the updates.

Paint’s glow-up is the most visually striking. An AI-powered sticker generator lets users conjure custom stickers from text prompts, while object select enables precision editing with a single click. There’s also a revamped welcome screen, though the flashiest tools require a Copilot+ PC and Microsoft account. Meanwhile, Snipping Tool gains two AI superpowers: Perfect Screenshot, which auto-crops selections to remove distractions, and a color picker that captures HEX, RGB, or HSL values. The former is another Copilot+ exclusive, suggesting Microsoft sees NPU acceleration as non-negotiable for certain AI tasks.

Notepad’s update is perhaps the most surprising. A new “write” feature uses generative AI to draft text based on prompts, accessible via right-click, the Copilot menu, or Ctrl + Q. While handy for quick drafts, it requires a Microsoft account and consumes AI credits for some subscriptions. Privacy-conscious users can disable it in settings—a nod to growing scrutiny over baked-in AI.

“Notepad with AI feels like giving a typewriter a ChatGPT brain,” observes an Insider tester. “Useful, but oddly dissonant.”

Feedback for all updates can be submitted in Feedback Hub under Apps > [respective app name]. The rollout underscores Microsoft’s strategy: modernize legacy tools with AI while gently herding users toward its ecosystem. Whether these features stick depends on Insider reactions—and whether Copilot+ PCs ever go mainstream.