It's official! Microsoft is bringing tabs to Windows 11's Notepad app with preview available now

Windows 11 Notepad tabs
(Image credit: Future)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft has announced that tabs are coming to Notepad.
  • It's available today in preview for Insiders in the Dev Channel.
  • The update adds tabs to the top of the Notepad app.

After a screenshot leaked on Christmas Day, Microsoft has now officially confirmed that tabs will be coming to the Notepad app soon, with a preview available for Insiders in the Dev Channel rolling out today. The new version of Notepad features a familiar tabs interface that runs along the top of the app, allowing you to open multiple .txt files under on window.

Dave Grochocki, principle program lead on Windows' inbox apps announced the following:

With this update, we are introducing support for multiple tabs—a top requested feature from the community—where you will be able to create, manage, and organize multiple files in a single Notepad window! You can also continue to work with files across multiple windows by dragging a tab out into its own window, and a new app setting lets you customize whether files open in new tabs or a new window by default.

Microsoft does warn that this new preview version of Notepad might be a little buggy, especially around keyboard shortcuts and performance. The company says it plans to address these issues over the coming weeks, before the app launches officially for the rest of the world.

Insiders will need to install version 11.2212.33.0 of the Notepad app to gain access to the new tabs feature, which should be rolling out for Dev Channel users in the Microsoft Store now.

For now, tabs in Notepad are here for Dev Channel users, and it's pretty awesome to see Microsoft adding tabs to other apps. Last year, Microsoft finally added tabs to File Explorer, after users spent years asking for it. Now we want to know which apps Microsoft will add tabs to next.

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads