Microsoft’s January 21, 2026 update gives Notepad faster, streaming responses for AI writing tasks and adds a prompt-based Coloring book feature to Paint. The update was announced for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels—not as a confirmed release for all Windows 11 users. Microsoft named Notepad version 11.2512.10.0 and Paint version 11.2512.191.0. Microsoft’s Windows Insider Blog describes the rollout.
What’s changing in Notepad and Paint
| App and change | What it does | Availability stated by Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| Notepad: streaming AI results | Write, Rewrite, and Summarize results begin appearing before the full response is ready. Microsoft says this applies to results generated locally or in the cloud. | Included in the January 21, 2026 Canary and Dev Channel Insider rollout. Microsoft account sign-in is required for these AI actions. |
| Paint: Coloring book | Creates coloring-page options from a text description entered through Paint’s Copilot menu. Options can be added to the canvas, copied, or saved. | Microsoft says it is limited to Copilot+ PCs and requires Microsoft account sign-in. |
| Paint: Fill tolerance slider | Adjusts how precisely the Fill tool applies color. This is a standard editing control, not a generative AI feature. | Included in the January 21, 2026 Insider announcement. |
| Notepad: Markdown formatting | Adds strikethrough and nested lists through the toolbar, keyboard shortcuts, or Markdown syntax. | Included in the January 21, 2026 Insider announcement. |
Notepad also gained a welcome experience explaining app features. These additions are distinct from its AI tools: Markdown formatting and the Paint Fill tolerance slider are conventional app controls.
How to make a coloring page in Paint
- Update Paint through the Microsoft Store.
- Open Paint and select the Copilot menu.
- Choose Coloring book and enter a text description of the page you want.
- Review the generated options, then add one to the canvas, copy it, or save it.
Microsoft’s January 21, 2026 announcement calls Coloring book “an AI-powered feature that lets you create unique coloring book pages from a text prompt.” The feature requires a Copilot+ PC and Microsoft account sign-in, according to that announcement. The announcement does not establish that this Insider build is available to every Copilot+ PC owner.
How Notepad’s AI writing tools work
Use Notepad’s Write, Rewrite, or Summarize action for the text task you need. Microsoft’s January 2026 update changes how the response arrives: instead of waiting for the whole result, you see it stream in and can interact with the partial response while the rest is generated. Microsoft says the behavior applies whether generation takes place locally or in the cloud. Sign in with a Microsoft account to use these Notepad AI actions.
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The January announcement does not state whether earlier terms for AI credits or subscriptions still apply. In a May 6, 2025 post, Microsoft said Notepad AI required credits included with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family and noted that signed-in AI requests were collected for safety and security. Those earlier terms should not be assumed to describe the January 2026 rollout. Microsoft’s May 2025 Windows Experience Blog post documents the earlier arrangement.
Why the Notepad response appears a little at a time
That is the streaming behavior Microsoft announced: a partial response appears sooner, while the rest is still being generated. The purpose is to let you see and interact with the result before the complete response is ready. Streaming is a presentation change; Microsoft says it applies to both local and cloud-generated results.
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How Paint’s other AI tools differ
Coloring book is the Paint addition highlighted in the January 2026 Insider update. Microsoft Support also describes other Paint features that use AI, but they have different workflows and requirements. The current support guide says to update Paint from the Microsoft Store and describes Microsoft account sign-in and internet access for cloud safety services for the features it covers. Microsoft Support’s Paint feature guide outlines them.
- Cocreator: Enter a prompt and draw on the canvas; Paint generates artwork based on both the prompt and your drawing.
- Generative fill: Select an area and add AI-generated content. Microsoft’s guide specifically requires a Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PC for this feature.
- Sticker generator: Create stickers from short prompts.
- Object Select: Detect image elements so you can move, copy, erase, or apply Generative fill to them.
These are not all the same tool, and their hardware conditions are not interchangeable. In particular, Microsoft’s Snapdragon requirement applies to Generative fill; the January 2026 announcement gives Coloring book a Copilot+ PC requirement but does not specify Snapdragon.
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Who can use the January update now?
Microsoft announced the named Notepad and Paint versions for Canary and Dev Channel Windows Insiders on January 21, 2026. That is a staged preview rollout. The cited announcement does not establish whether those exact changes later reached general availability, so Windows 11 users outside those Insider channels should not assume the features are already present on their PCs.
For historical context, Microsoft’s November 2024 Insider announcement discussed earlier Paint and Notepad AI features, including Generative fill, Generative erase, and Notepad Rewrite. It also described preview availability and supported markets at that time; those regional details do not establish current availability. Microsoft’s November 2024 announcement is useful for that earlier rollout only.
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Which app change fits your task?
| If you want to… | Use | Key condition or distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Draft, rewrite, or summarize text | Notepad AI | Microsoft account sign-in is required; results stream in the January 2026 update. |
| Generate a coloring-page design from a description | Paint Coloring book | Requires a Copilot+ PC and Microsoft account sign-in, according to Microsoft’s January 2026 announcement. |
| Apply a flat color more or less precisely | Paint Fill tolerance slider | A conventional editing control, not generative AI. |
| Generate art alongside your own drawing | Paint Cocreator | Uses both a prompt and marks made on the canvas; see Microsoft Support for feature conditions. |
| Fill a selected image area with generated content | Paint Generative fill | Microsoft Support specifies a Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PC. |
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