Notepad in Windows 11 can finally count characters

The core functionality has been absent for 40 years, but has now finally been integrated. Step by step, Notepad becomes more useful.

Does anyone like Notepad in Windows? The application has been mistreated for decades by Microsoft to push everyone towards the Office suite with Word as a more functional alternative.

Step by step, Microsoft is now developing a better notebook so that you don’t have to install the Office package immediately in the future. It introduced dark mode at the end of 2021 and the app also got tabs at the beginning of this year. When you close Notepad, it will remember your open tabs so you never lose your work.

Microsoft is now adding a new feature to Notepad on Windows 11: a character counter. Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels now have an update that includes a counter at the bottom, just like in Word, to count characters.

Beta testers can now also choose directly from the list of options to open a file in Notepad for editing.

It’s currently unclear when all Windows 11 users can expect the new features. Some features are released publicly after a few weeks, while others remain in testing for several months.

Notepad++ as an alternative

It may seem crazy to announce such a small new feature, but it’s an important step in Notepad’s evolution toward a free, basic alternative to Word. We’re not there yet, text formatting still isn’t there, but who knows in the future with Windows 12 or other projects.

If you’d rather not start using Word right away, you can always download the free Notepad++. The open source version is packed with tools for regular users and developers. Recently released, Notepad++ v8.6 is a special anniversary release to celebrate its 20th anniversary. If you’re interested, click here Download the tool for Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 7.