Windows Insiders enrolled in the Dev channel are being treated a big update for the Notepad app today. This update introduces support for tabs, meaning you can work on multiple Notepad files in a single window, reducing the need to juggle multiple windows while multitasking. Windows 11 build 25281 is also available today with a few changes of its own, albeit smaller ones.

Notepad finally gets tabs

To get tabs in Notepad, you'll need to update the app to version 11.2212.33.0 through the Microsoft Store. To go along with tab support, the app also supports new shortcuts for opening and closing tabs, which should make your workflow faster if you prefer using a keyboard instead of a mouse. Tabs will be automatically named based on the content inside so you can easily identify them when switching, and Microsoft has also tweaked the design of the indicator of unsaved changes in a file.

Screenshot of the Windows 11 Notepad app with two tabs open

Microsoft has been bringing tab support to individual parts of Windows 11 for the past couple of years, adding them to Windows Terminal, File Explorer, and now Notepad. A while back, during Windows 10 development, there was a feature called Sets that was meant to bring tabs to every app, but that was eventually canceled. Instead, Microsoft is focusing on areas where productivity benefits the most from having tabs.

Since this is an app update, this feature should make its way to the general public without needing a major Windows update.

Windows Spotlight gets new features on the desktop

Screenshot of the full-screen Windows Spotlight experience in Windows 11 build 25281

Moving over to Windows 11 build 25281, which is also available in the Dev channel today, Microsoft is making some improvements to Windows Spotlight. This feature recently made its debut on the Windows 11 desktop (previously, it was only on the lock screen), and this update improves that experience with a new UI.

Microsoft is testing a few different design options, but the goal is to make it easier to see more detailed information about the picture you're looking at. You'll also be able to switch to a different picture more easily if you don't like the one you got that day. You can also search for terms related to the picture to learn more about the context around it.

More design tweaks in Settings

Screenshot of the redesigned Graphics page in the Windows 11 Settings app

Microsoft is also continuing to modernize more UI elements to align with the design principles of Windows 11, and this time, it's the Graphics page in the Settings app. This page, available in under System > Display, is where you can choose whether specific apps should use the discrete or integrated GPU on your PC, and whether to enable optimizations for windowed games.

Another change in the Settings app is that you'll no longer be prompted to confirm you want to remove a Bluetooth device when you attempt to do so. Outside of the Settings app, Microsoft has also updated the printer icon in the taskbar to look more modern and align with Windows 11.

Outside of these additions, this build comes with the usual slate of fixes, which you can find below:

And of course, there are also some known issues, though thankfully, the list is relatively short. Here's what you need to look out for:

If you're enrolled in the Dev channel, you can grab Windows 11 build 25281 from Windows Update right now, and the Notepad app will be on the Microsoft Store. It can take a while to roll out to everyone, but you should have it sooner rather than later.

Source: Microsoft (1, 2)