It appears that Notepad, the text editor included with Microsoft Windows, may be getting a tabs feature in the upcoming Windows 11 release. A senior product manager at Microsoft accidentally announced the feature in a tweet, which included a screenshot of a version of Notepad with tabs. The tweet was quickly deleted, but not before it was spotted by several Windows enthusiast accounts. The screenshot also included a warning that the feature is still in internal testing at Microsoft, but it is possible that it will be made available to Windows Insiders in early 2023.
If Microsoft does move forward with the tabs feature for Notepad, it will be the first built-in app to receive a tabbed interface, following the addition of tabs to the File Explorer earlier this year. Four years ago, Microsoft tested tabs across all Windows 10 apps in a feature called Sets, which included support for tabs in Notepad and File Explorer. However, the project was eventually canceled and never released to Windows 10 users.
The addition of tabs in Notepad could signify a shift towards more built-in Windows apps getting tabbed interfaces. While Microsoft discontinued the Sets feature for Windows 10, power users have turned to third-party tools and apps to bring tabs to various parts of the operating system. The potential introduction of tabs in Notepad could make it easier for users to manage multiple files and documents within the app.
