As promised, Microsoft is now beginning its effort to reduce and remove Copilot branding across Windows 11, with the latest Notepad update for Insiders outright removing the Copilot icon and phrasing. Now, the AI menu is simply called "writing tools," and maintains the same functionality as before.
Additionally, Microsoft has also removed references to AI in the Settings area in Notepad. Now, the ability to turn on or off these AI powered writing tools are now listed under "Advanced features."
This change is present in the latest preview build of Notepad which is now rolling out to all Windows Insiders. The app version is 11.2512.28.0, and you'll know you have it if you see the Copilot icon replaced with a pen icon instead.
I exclusively revealed that Microsoft was planning to remove or rebrand Copilot experiences in many in-box apps back in January. At the time, I was told that Microsoft was evaluating how best to streamline AI experiences across the OS, with many Copilot buttons being removed or replaced.
For Notepad, it appears Microsoft has opted to replace the Copilot menu with something more generic. It's still the same functionally, but it's no longer leaning on the tainted Copilot brand. Of course, you can still easily turn off all AI features in Notepad if you don't want them.
This move is part of Microsoft's larger effort to address pain points on Windows 11, with the company actively working quality of life improvements designed to reduce bloat and improve system stability and reliability. The company has confirmed that it's planning to be more tactful about where the Copilot brand appears in the OS going forward as a result.
Notepad is likely the first of many apps on Windows 11 that will see changes to how Copilot is implemented. Copilot has notoriously infected Paint as well, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft change up how AI is implemented in that app soon as well. File Explorer is another area with many Copilot hooks that are likely to be reduced over the next year.
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