Microsoft drops Copilot label

Microsoft has removed the Copilot label from Notepad in Windows 11, but the app’s artificial intelligence writing tools are still there under a new name. (windowslatest.com) (microsoft.com) Windows Latest reported on April 26 that production PCs are now showing Notepad without Copilot branding after a Microsoft Store update. The app now uses a “Writing tools” icon and wording instead of the old Copilot references. (windowslatest.com 1) (windowslatest.com 2) Microsoft’s own support page still describes three Notepad features: Rewrite, Summarize, and Write. The company says those tools use GPT to help users edit, shorten, or generate text inside the app. (microsoft.com) Those features are not free-form add-ons for everyone. Microsoft says users must sign in, and access depends on Microsoft 365 subscription status and artificial intelligence credit limits tied to the account. (microsoft.com 1) (microsoft.com 2) The change follows Microsoft’s March 20 statement that Windows 11 would get “reduced” Copilot presence across the operating system. In that post, Microsoft said it would cut back unnecessary Copilot entry points in apps including Notepad, Photos, Snipping Tool, and Widgets. (blogs.windows.com) (windowslatest.com) Microsoft has not pulled back from the Copilot name everywhere. On April 22, the company said agentic Copilot capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint had reached general availability inside Microsoft 365 apps. (microsoft.com) Excel has been one of the clearest examples of that push. Microsoft’s Excel blog said March 2026 updates added new “Edit with Copilot” capabilities, and January updates said Agent Mode in Excel became generally available on Windows. (techcommunity.microsoft.com 1) (techcommunity.microsoft.com 2) Microsoft’s public release notes also show Copilot features continuing to ship across Microsoft 365 through April 21, including new administrative controls for artificial intelligence video generation. The branding is being trimmed in parts of Windows while the underlying artificial intelligence stack keeps expanding in Office. (learn.microsoft.com) In Notepad, that leaves users with the same basic test they had before the rename: whether Rewrite, Summarize, and Write save enough time to justify the sign-in, subscription, and credit requirements. (microsoft.com) (microsoft.com)