Notepad loses Copilot icon as Microsoft gives subtlety a try

Copilot is on its way out of Notepad, but a return to the basic text editor is not on the cards.

The Copilot button is reportedly missing from the latest Windows Insider build of Notepad. However, the omission speaks more to how toxic the Copilot brand has become than to the company rethinking its strategy of spraying AI across its product line.

Users hoping that the move might signify a change of heart at Redmond will be disappointed. The AI features are still there, but now under an option called “Writing Tools” with a pen icon. Users don’t have to use them and can switch them off entirely. The mere presence of a toolbar in the previously clutter-free Notepad will still stick in the craw of some users, but at least the Copilot icon won’t be there anymore.

In March, Windows boss Pavan Davuluri wrote: “We are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets,…