Hyderabad: 

Notepad and Paint have been an integral part of Windows for years. Microsoft has introduced several new features to these apps, some even in the last few months, to keep them helpful when there is no shortage of modern utility apps.

For the first time, Microsoft is locking some Paint and Notepad features behind a paywall. These features are part of the AI-powered upgrades and will now require a Microsoft 365 subscription to allow access. Notably, the basic functionalities of both apps remain free. Several recently introduced advanced features are also accessible without a subscription.

Paint mainly received new AI features, including DALL-E-powered image creator, generative erase, background removal, and the option to edit in layers. Among these, the AI image generation feature has been locked behind the paywall, making it accessible with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Notepad, on the other hand, received its own spell-checker and autocorrect feature for the first time last year. Recently, it received a new menu option as well, allowing users to quickly access recent files. Additionally, the app also received several AI-based writing features, including a rewrite tool to adjust tone, modify the length of content, and rephrase the text. Users can also generate summaries of selected text. These AI-powered writing features are now part of the subscription.

A Microsoft 365 subscription costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. In India, the plan costs Rs 689 per month or Rs 6,899 per year. The Microsoft 365 Family plan costs Rs 819 per month or Rs 8,199 per year and can be shared with up to six people. The subscription comes with the following benefits:

Sign in to five devices at once

Use on PCs, Macs, phones, and tablets

1 TB of secure cloud storage (up to 6 TB with Family plan, limited to 1TB per person)

Productivity apps with Microsoft Copilot

Data and device security

Ad-free, secure email

Users can continue to use Notepad and Paint without a subscription. However, they will not get to access the features locked behind the paywall.

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