Microsoft is now testing an AI-powered text summarization feature in Notepad and a Snipping Tool "Draw & Hold" feature that helps draw perfect shapes. Today, it also added a "Draw & Hold" feature in Snipping Tool version 11.2502.18.0 to help users draw lines, arrows, rectangles, or ovals more precisely using the built-in pen tool. For instance, in November, Microsoft also added a text rewriting tool to Notepad 11.2410.15.0, dubbed "Rewrite," which was previously known as CoWriter. "To get started, select the text you want to summarize, then right-click and choose Summarize, select Summarize from the Copilot menu, or use the Ctrl + M keyboard shortcut," said Dave Grochocki, Principal Group Product Manager for Windows Inbox Apps. "These features in Snipping Tool and Notepad are beginning to rollout in these updates, so it may not be available to all Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing them out to everyone," Grochocki added. Grochocki added that you must sign in to your Microsoft personal account to use the new Summarize tool, which will use the AI credits linked to your Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Copilot Pro subscription. Previously, Microsoft also added a built-in character counter in December 2023, and a spell check and autocorrect feature for all Windows 11 users in July 2024. The company also started testing a new "Recent Files" option that can be accessed from the Edit menu, letting you reopen recently closed documents directly within Notepad. This is part of a broader push to include AI features in the Windows 11 Notepad text editing application.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:50:12 +0000