Notepad, the text editing software that has been part of Windows for 38 years, has been modernized for Windows 11, adding several new features.

The Notepad app, available to Windows Insiders now, has been updated with a number of improvements, including curved corners familiar to Windows 11 early adopters and a "mica" design where the surface subtly absorbs desktop colors.

But according to a Microsoft blog post introducing the update, the real highlight is Dark Mode, which, according to Dave Grochocki, principal program manager lead for Windows Inbox Apps, is "the number one community requested," the dark mode inverts the traditional black text on a white background, making it visually appealing and slightly less stressful on the eyes.

By default, the app mimics the system theming, and dark mode is only introduced if preferred elsewhere within Windows 11. However, this can be changed locally in Notepad's all-new settings menu, which is also the new home for font options.

But the update is more than just cosmetic changes, Grochocki emphasizes that there are functional improvements as well. The "Find and Replace" and text search tools have been combined into a single floating bar, and multi-level undo is now supported.

In other words, whereas previous versions of Notepad remembered only one step that could be undone with the Ctrl-Z shortcut, the new version now remembers multiple repetitions of text. This is, of course, "another top feature request from the community."

"Productivity, performance, and reliability are paramount for Notepad," concludes Grochocki.

"Regardless of how you integrate Notepad into your workflow, we assure you that Notepad will continue to excel in these areas."

It is worth noting that the version available to Insiders today has some known bugs. In addition to the erratic use of keyboard access keys when switching languages and using the Japanese IME, there are warnings about "unexpected behavior" when scrolling and shift-clicking to select text. Microsoft is also actively working on performance when opening large files.

If you are still using Windows 10 and thinking about updating, our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 11 and our best laptops list should point you in the right direction.