Microsoft is steadily enhancing its suite of apps, introducing smarter tools and features designed to make everyday tasks easier for users. According to reports from Thurrott, several updates are already rolling out to users on the Windows Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary channels.
Among the apps getting the biggest boost are Paint, Notepad, and the Snipping Tool. Paint, in particular, is gaining fresh functionality that expands what users can do with the classic drawing program. Notepad and the screenshot tool are also seeing meaningful improvements.
These are some of the most commonly used tools on Windows, so once these changes make their way to the general release, they’re likely to be well-received by a wide audience.
New Paint functions: Sticker creation and smart selection
Paint, one of Windows’ longest-standing apps, continues to evolve. Once a simple drawing tool, it now includes a variety of upgrades—some powered by modern tech—that bring it up to speed with today’s creative needs.
Users in the Windows 11 Canary channel are starting to see several of these new additions. One standout feature is the ability to create custom stickers. Found under the Paint Copilot menu, the new sticker generator opens a pop-up where users can describe the kind of sticker they want. This feature is currently available only to those using Copilot+ PCs who are signed into their Microsoft account.
Another improvement comes in the form of an updated selection tool. This new option in the toolbar uses intelligent detection to help users quickly isolate and edit specific parts of an image, making the editing process much smoother and more precise.
Snipping Tool Gets Smarter with New Screen Capture and Color Features
Much like Paint, the Snipping Tool has been a staple in Windows for years, helping users take full or custom screenshots, and more recently, record their screens. Now, it’s receiving a fresh round of upgrades that make it even more capable.
One of the standout improvements is the enhanced screen capture experience for Copilot+ PC users. Thanks to more advanced processing, the tool can now detect and capture exactly the part of the screen you need—no more fiddling with manual selections or cropping afterward.
Another useful addition is a color picker feature built into the toolbar. With it, you can point to any color on the screen, and the app will instantly display its hex code, RGB, or HSL values. It’s especially helpful for design or editing work where precise color matching matters.
The Snipping Tool has seen a steady stream of improvements lately, and it’s not stopping—native support for creating GIFs is also on the way, making it even more versatile for sharing quick visual content.
Notepad Gets a Boost with Smart Drafting and Text Tools
Though it often flies under the radar, Notepad is another classic Windows app that’s been steadily evolving. Over the years, it’s picked up a modern design refresh—complete with dark mode—and now, it’s stepping into more intelligent territory.
The latest update brings advanced features to Notepad, allowing users to do things like generate a draft from a short message, rewrite content, and more—all made possible by new smart functionality built into the app.
These tools are currently available only to Copilot+ PC users who are signed into a Microsoft account. For those with a Microsoft 365 subscription—whether it’s Personal, Family, Business, or Copilot Pro—additional usage credits are included, unlocking even more flexibility.
At the moment, these features are being rolled out to users in the Windows Insider test channels, such as Canary and Dev. While Microsoft has begun deploying the update, it may still be some time before it reaches the general public through the stable release.
