Skip to content
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft

WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft

Written By Krishna R
Last Updated October 17, 2023
Posted In Windows 11
SHARE

Microsoft has officially announced the WordPad App Removal from Windows. Do you know Wordpad has been part of Windows for over 30 years? Microsoft decided to stop updating Wordpad and slowly remove it from upcoming Windows versions.

Microsoft adds new features and functionality for every version of Windows. It’s not entirely removed, so you can use Wordpad before removing it from your operating system. Microsoft brings an excellent alternative for Wordpad that would be a more robust application than Wordpad.

Wordpad is a basic word-processing application that has been included in every new version of Windows. Microsoft Word has many features, including inserting tables, hyperlinks, images, and numbered lists.

Microsoft did not say any particular time limit or anything for removing wordpad. The Wordpad has been pre-installed in Windows since Windows 95; Microsoft Wordpad is a simple functional text editor.

Patch My PC

What is Wordpad?

WordPad is a primary word processor included with Windows 95 and later versions. It is more advanced than Notepad but simpler than Microsoft Word.
It can create and edit documents with rich text formatting, such as bold, italic, colored, and centered text.

When will Wordpad be Removed from Windows?

Microsoft announced that WordPad is no longer being updated and will no longer be a part of future Windows. The exact time limit hasn’t been specified for removing WordPad. This will be removed and deprecated with a future update very similar to the Cortana recently.

WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft

Microsoft decided to stop updating Wordpad, It is no longer part of new Windows versions such as Windows 12. Microsoft is promoting new software as an alternative to Word, like Microsoft Word for documents and Notepad for text.

  • Microsoft announced Wordpad is being removed from Window’s future version.
  • It expected Wordpad would come with new features.
FeatureDetails and MitigationDeprecation Announced
WordPad
WordPad is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt. September 1, 2023
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft- Table.1
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft - Fig.1 - Credits to MS
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft – Fig.1 – Credits to MS

WordPad in Windows

WordPad, a free basic word processor, has been part of the Windows operating system. Now Microsoft removed WordPad and stopped supporting it. Wordpad does not get more attention in Windows updates.

  • It was updated with minor changes in Ribbon UI in Windows 7 and redesigned in Windows 8.
  • In Windows 11, Wordpad still looks similar to the Wordpad in Windows 10.
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft - Fig.2
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft – Fig.2

Wordpad is a simple text editor application preinstalled in every Windows version. There are many advanced features in Wordpad compared to Microsoft Word. The wordpad is continuing with the tools for simple text editing.

WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft - Fig.3
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft – Fig.3

Alternatives For WordPad in Windows

What next after the retirement of WordPad? Microsoft Word and Notepad is the best alternative for the WordPad. MS Word for Creating rich text documents like .doc and .rtf files, and Notepad for plain text.

Microsoft is updating Notepad with new features such as auto-save and automatic tabs restore. The redesigned Notepad for Windows 11 includes a number of changes in the UI that align with the new visual designs.

WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft - Fig.4
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft – Fig.4

Microsoft Word has many more functions and features than WordPad; Word is a software that microsoft builds for processing words. It supports various operating systems like Windows, Mac, Android, etc. Word is supported in Windows 7 and higher.

WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft - Fig.5
WordPad App Removal from Windows is Announced by Microsoft – Fig.5

Importance of the Retirement of WordPad

Removing WordPad from Windows has many perspectives, Some users find that it is useful and provides functional word-processing tools. However, the technology developed, and Microsoft focused on more feature-rich alternatives.

Deprecated features in the Windows client – What’s new in Windows | Microsoft Learn

We are on WhatsApp. To get the latest step-by-step guides and news updates, Join our Channel. Click here – HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Krishna. R is a computer enthusiast. She loves writing on Windows 11 and related technologies. She likes to share her knowledge, quick tips, and tricks with Windows 11 or Windows 10 with the community.

Discussion

Join the discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related guides

Security

Microsoft Fixes 570 Security Vulnerabilities and 3 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in July 2026 Patch Tuesday

Key Takeaways Microsoft Fixes 570 Security Vulnerabilities and 3 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in July 2026 Patch Tuesday! Microsoft fixed 3 zero-day vulnerabilities as part of the July 2026 Patch Tuesday updates. Two of them, CVE-2026-56164 (Microsoft SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege) and CVE-2026-56155 (Active Directory Federation Services Elevation of Privilege), were actively exploited before the security […]

AC Anoop C Nair 29 min read
Intune

Windows 11 KB5101650 KB5099414 July 2026 Patch and 3 Zero Day Vulnerabilities and 570 Flaws

Key Takeaways Windows 11 KB5101650 KB5099414 July 2026 Patch and 3 Zero Day Vulnerabilities and 570 Flaws! In the July 2026 Patch, Microsoft introduced new features designed to improve the overall Windows experience. The update adds enhancements to Windows Update for more flexible update management and introduces Point-in-Time Restore, providing an additional recovery option for […]

AC Anoop C Nair 9 min read
Windows 11

Boost Productivity with Zoom Workplace on Windows 11 | Setup Guide for Meetings Chat Calls and Collaboration

Key Takeaways Hey, let’s learn about Boost Productivity with Zoom Workplace on Windows 11 | Setup Guide for Meetings Chat Calls and Collaboration. Zoom workplace is an AI-powered collaboration app used for online meetings, team collaboration, and video calls. This application helps to conduct meetings Including chat and messaging, screen sharing and Calendar Integration. Boost […]

AC Anoop C Nair 35 min read
Windows 11

13 Windows AI Features to Turn Off for Better Privacy

Key takeaways Hey, let’s discuss about 13 Windows AI features to turn off for better privacy. AI is widely used in modern systems such as Windows 11 to automate tasks, improve productivity, and enhance user experience. However, AI also has several disadvantages. It may raise privacy concerns because personal data can be collected and analysed […]

AC Anoop C Nair 15 min read