Notepad has always been one of Windows’ most honest tools. Open it, type, save, close. No drama. But in 2025, even this tiny pocket of simplicity isn’t safe from the AI wave sweeping through Microsoft’s ecosystem. The company recently introduced a new Copilot-powered feature called “streaming” inside Notepad, and it quite literally lets you watch AI type text letter by letter, as if someone is ghost-writing in real time. This is similar to how ChatGPT responds to prompts.
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If you’ve ever used ChatGPT or any other modern AI chatbot, you know the familiar rhythm of words appearing one after another instead of dropping on screen at once. That’s streaming. And Microsoft wants Notepad to behave the same way.
“We are improving the experience for Write, Rewrite, and Summarize with streaming result responses. Results will start to appear quicker without the need to wait for the full response, providing a preview sooner that you can interact with,” Microsoft noted in a blog post.
Until now, Copilot inside Notepad simply dropped full text instantly, making the interaction feel stiff and disconnected. The new update adds that animated output, meant to make the experience feel “natural,” especially when paired with voice mode.
The feature is rolling out first on Copilot+ PCs because those devices can generate responses locally.
“Streaming support for Rewrite is limited to results generated locally on Copilot+ PCs at this time. To use Write, Rewrite, and Summarize in Notepad, you will need to sign in with your Microsoft account,” the company said.
Even though Copilot in Notepad is technically optional, it’s switched on by default, which means the simplest app in Windows now comes with menus for Write, Rewrite, Summarise, and even tone adjustments like Formal, Casual, Humour, and Persuasive. There’s even a “marketing” rewrite option.
If you don’t want AI peeking into your text drafts, you can disable Copilot by heading to Settings > Copilot inside Notepad. This hides the AI options but doesn’t remove them completely, since the underlying code remains baked into the app.
The message is clear: AI isn’t just visiting Windows, it’s moving in permanently. From Notepad to Paint to Photos, the Copilot integration is only growing louder.
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