Microsoft has announced that it will no longer include WordPad, a free rich text editor and word processor, in future releases of its Windows operating system. WordPad has been a part of Windows since Windows 95 but will not be updated and will eventually be removed. Microsoft recommends its paid word processor, Microsoft Word, as an alternative for rich text documents. Microsoft 365, which includes Word, is offered as a subscription package with a suite of productivity software and cloud storage.
In addition to the removal of WordPad, Microsoft is upgrading Notepad with features like autosave and tab retraction. Notepad, another free software bundled with Windows, serves as a simple text editor. This move aligns with Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to integrate generative AI into its software and services, focusing on more advanced tools while retiring older ones like WordPad.