Notepad, the ubiquitous text editor on Windows devices, has finally received a much-needed update: a character count feature. This feature, while seemingly basic, has been absent from the app since its inception.

Notepad gets a character count feature

The new feature arrives in the latest Canary channel test build of Windows 11. It adds a character count display to the bottom left corner of the Notepad window. This mimics the behavior of other text editors like Microsoft Word, offering a convenient way to track the length of your text. 

Windows Notepad character count. Image: Microsoft

By default, it displays the total number of characters in the entire document. But if you select a specific line, the application will show the character count for that section. I’m sure the character count feature on Windows Notepad will come in handy for all who work with any text-based content. 

The character count feature is one of several improvements Microsoft has made to Notepad this year. Recently, they added an autosave option that automatically saves your work at regular intervals, eliminating the worry of losing progress. 

Additionally, they’ve added tabs for managing multiple documents and a dark mode for comfortable nighttime use. And if you need to fidget, there’s even a virtual fidget spinner now. These changes make Notepad a more user-friendly experience overall.

New widgets feature in Windows 11. Image: Microsoft

Apart from this, Windows 11 itself has received some updates in the latest Canary channel build. Users can now choose to display only widgets on the dedicated Widget page, hiding the feed of news and articles if they so desire. This feature wasn’t really clicking with me either, so I’m glad Microsoft is offering more options.

However, it’s important to remember that all these features are currently in beta testing and should be available to all users in future updates.

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