Microsoft continues to deactivate old services as it transitions to new applications with Windows 11. Finally, the company announced that it will remove WordPad, an app for editing text, from future versions of Windows 11.
WordPad pulled for Windows 11
WordPad has been available in all versions of the operating system since Windows 95 was introduced in 1995. The service is used to create and edit simple documents and supports a wide range of writing formats, including Rich Text Format (RTF).
Microsoft recently announced some important changes in Windows 11 Canary 26020. Accordingly, the company said it will stop bundling WordPad with new versions of the operating system.
It also confirmed that WordPad “cannot be reinstalled” and has been permanently removed from Windows 11. The company, which usually retires older services by allowing them to be installed, seems to be making an exception for WordPad.
Microsoft’s decision is a big change for WordPad, which has been a fixture of the Windows experience for decades. But as services like Word, bundled with Office, have become standard in the market, the need for such legacy applications has diminished.
WordPad offered a simple interface for opening, editing and saving basic RTF and TXT files without the need for any additional software. While its functionality was limited compared to Office suites, it was still a useful tool for casual users. Windows 11 users will now need to switch to an alternative document editing application.
So what do you think about this issue? You can share your opinions with us in the Comments section below.