Windows Notepad app

Windows Notepad is a foundational text editor developed by Microsoft Corporation. Originally released in 1983 as "Multi-Tool Notepad" to demonstrate the functionality of the computer mouse for MS-DOS, it was later rebranded and has been included in every version of the Windows operating system since Windows 1.0 in 1985.

Historically, the app was developed by Richard Brodie under Microsoft's direction. While it was once updated only alongside major operating system releases, Microsoft transitioned Notepad to a standalone app in the Microsoft Store in 2019. This allows for more frequent updates, including modern features like dark mode, tabbed editing, and AI-powered rewriting tools introduced in recent years.

As a software product, it is engineered and maintained by Microsoft in the United States. It remains under the full ownership of Microsoft Corporation as a core component of the Windows productivity ecosystem.