Microsoft has begun removing the CoPilot branding from Notepad in Windows 11, with a new preview build now available to all Windows Insiders. In the update, the Copilot icon has been replaced with a pen icon and the AI menu has been renamed “Writing Tools”. The core functionality remains the same.
Updated Notepad version included 11.2512.28.0. References to AI and Copilot have also been removed in Notepad’s Settings, with the toggle to enable or disable AI writing features now found under “Advanced features”.
Microsoft’s massive effort to remove CoPilot branding in Windows 11
Microsoft confirmed in January that it planned to remove or rebrand Copilot features in many in-box Windows 11 applications. The company said it is looking at how to streamline AI features across the operating system, with the CoPilot button in various apps likely being removed or replaced.
Notepad appears to be the first app to undergo this change. Microsoft has indicated that Paint, which also includes Copilot integration, and File Explorer, which has several Copilot hooks, are likely next in line for similar updates.
The rebranding does not eliminate AI functionality. Users who don’t want the writing tools can still disable them through Notepad’s advanced features settings. The change only affects the way features are labeled and presented, not their capabilities.
Microsoft hasn’t given a timeline for when the Copilot rebranding will apply to other Windows 11 apps or when the Notepad update will be available to non-Insider users.
