14 DAY TRIAL // While Notepad is for many just a barebones text editor, this little app has become an important part of the default Windows app arsenal.
And this is the reason Microsoft has shipped several updates lately to improve the experience with Notepad, while also trying to make sure these new versions are released in a more straightforward way by bringing the app to the Microsoft Store.
In other words, yes, Notepad is now published in the Microsoft Store, and according to a recent screenshot posted on Twitter by Alex Ionescu, it has also been silently updated with a warning of old versions. What this means is that Notepad will now display a notification whenever a new version sees the daylight and you can download it on your computer.
“A new version of Notepad is available,” this message reads.
Powered by the Microsoft Store
While it’s not yet clear who gets to see this notification or not, it’s most likely related to the update system powered by the Microsoft Store.
So my guess is that the new version notification shows up when the Microsoft Store detects a new update for Notepad but it’s not allowed to install it automatically. So if you’ve previously disabled automatic updates through the Microsoft Store, there’s a chance you could end up getting this warning whenever a new version is released and it needs to be installed manually.
In the meantime, the main benefit of Notepad published in the Microsoft Store is that the app can be updated without the need for new OS feature updates.
“Notepad is now updateable via the Microsoft Store outside major OS updates. It also has a new icon and has been promoted out of the Windows Accessories folder to its own place in the Start menu,” Microsoft explained.