Windows 11 Notepad Learns to Create Text Summarizations Using AI

Microsoft has begun testing a feature to prepare short text summaries using AI in Windows 11 Notepad. In addition, the Snipping Tool update introduced the Draw and Hold feature, which automatically aligns drawn objects. These innovations are already available to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels.

Image source: Microsoft

Microsoft continues to integrate AI into standard Windows 11 applications, turning them into increasingly intelligent tools. One such innovation is automatic text summarization in Notepad. Now users can get a summary without having to manually edit it or turn to third-party AI services.

To do this, simply select the text in Notepad, then call the context menu by right-clicking and select the Summarize command. You can also use the hot keys Ctrl + M or launch the function through the Copilot menu. If necessary, the length of the resulting text can be adjusted, making it shorter or, conversely, longer, depending on the user’s needs.

Those who prefer the classic Notepad without AI can turn off the intelligence in the app’s settings. Microsoft began experimenting with AI in Notepad back in 2023, when it introduced the Rewrite feature, which paraphrases text. The new summary feature is a logical continuation of this idea.

In addition to the Notepad innovations, Microsoft has improved the Snipping Tool application by adding the Draw & Hold feature. This technology automatically aligns lines, arrows, rectangles, and ovals drawn by the user. To use it, just hold the cursor a little longer while drawing — the program recognizes the contours of the figure and eliminates unevenness.

After automatic alignment, the user can edit the object: change its size, move it or adjust its shape. The new function makes image marking more convenient and accurate, especially for those who actively use screenshots in their professional activities.

Draw and Hold is similar to Apple’s solution available on iPad and iPhone. In Apple’s ecosystem, the system adjusts hand-drawn shapes to make them geometrically precise. Microsoft has adapted this feature to work with a mouse and stylus, which expands its scope of application and makes the standard Windows 11 tools more versatile.