Windows 11 AI Features in Paint, Photos, Notepad and Snipping Tool (2026): What Works on Your PC and How to Use It

Windows 11’s built-in apps have picked up a surprising amount of AI. Paint can generate images from a doodle, Photos can relight a portrait, Notepad can rewrite a paragraph and the Snipping Tool can pull text out of any screenshot. The confusing part is that some of these run on any PC, some need a Copilot+ PC with a 40+ TOPS NPU, and some use AI credits tied to a Microsoft 365 subscription. On top of that, Microsoft has been trimming Copilot buttons from Windows after user complaints. This guide sorts it all out: every AI feature in Paint, Photos, Notepad and Snipping Tool, what you need for each, how to use it, and what changed in late 2026.

What You Need: Any PC vs Copilot+ vs AI Credits

A Copilot+ PC has an NPU of at least 40 TOPS, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage: Snapdragon X and X2, Intel Core Ultra 200V and Series 3, AMD Ryzen AI 300 and 400. Check in Task Manager > Performance for an NPU entry. More detail in what is an NPU.

AI credits: cloud features like Image Creator and Notepad’s cloud Writing Tools spend monthly AI credits included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family. Free accounts get a small allowance or none, depending on region.

Paint AI Features

Remove a background (any PC)

1. Open the image in Paint.
2. Click Remove background in the Image group on the toolbar.
3. Save as PNG to keep transparency.

Generative erase (any PC)

1. Click the Erase (sparkle eraser) tool in the Copilot/AI menu.
2. Brush over the object you want gone.
3. Click Apply. Paint fills the area to match the background.

Cocreator (Copilot+ PCs)

1. Click the Copilot (or AI) menu > Cocreator.
2. Type a description and pick a style.
3. Draw a rough sketch on the canvas. The preview on the right updates as you draw.
4. Adjust the Creativity slider: low follows your sketch closely, high takes more liberties.
5. Click the result to place it on the canvas.

Sticker generator and object select (Copilot+ PCs)

• Sticker generator: describe a sticker (“cartoon cat holding a coffee”) and Paint makes a transparent sticker you can drop into any image.
• Object select: click an object and Paint selects just that object for moving, copying or editing.

Image Creator (cloud, AI credits)

Type a prompt and Paint generates images in the cloud. Each generation uses AI credits. For better image generation without credits, local models in ComfyUI are far more capable; see the best open-source text-to-image models.

Photos AI Features

• Generative erase (any PC): Edit > Erase. Brush over distractions; Auto apply removes them.
• Background blur, replace and remove (any PC): Edit > Background. Choose Blur, Remove or Replace and adjust intensity.
• Relight (Copilot+): add up to three virtual light sources to a portrait and adjust their direction, colour and brightness.
• Super resolution (Copilot+): upscale an image up to 8x on the NPU. Great for old phone photos.
• Restyle (Copilot+): turn a photo into an artistic style, with a prompt box and Creativity slider.
• Search your library: type descriptions like “beach sunset” to find photos.

For more powerful photo editing with AI, compare Photoshop’s AI features and the free Google Photos AI tools.

Notepad Writing Tools

In late 2026 Microsoft replaced Notepad’s Copilot branding with Writing Tools. The features are the same idea:

1. Type or paste text and select it (or place the cursor where you want new text).
2. Click the Writing Tools icon in the toolbar, or right-click the selection.
3. Choose Write (generate from an instruction), Rewrite (change tone, length or clarity) or Summarise.
4. Compare the options and click Replace or Insert.

On non-Copilot+ PCs these run in the cloud and need a Microsoft account with AI credits. On Copilot+ PCs, on-device options are available. If you’d rather Notepad stay a plain text editor, turn the AI off in Notepad Settings (see below).

Snipping Tool AI Features

• Text extractor (any PC): take a screenshot, click Text actions, then Copy all text. Use Quick redact to hide emails and phone numbers before sharing.
• Perfect Screenshot (Copilot+): press Win + Shift + S, choose Perfect Screenshot and Windows detects the window or region you meant and crops it cleanly.
• Colour picker and markup: non-AI helpers that pair well with the above.

System-Wide AI: Click to Do, Live Captions, Studio Effects

• Click to Do (Copilot+): press Win + click (or Win + Q on some builds) to get actions for whatever is on screen: copy text from an image, summarise, remove a background, search the web.
• Live Captions: Win + Ctrl + L for captions on any audio. Translation into English and other languages is a Copilot+ feature.
• Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ full set): background blur, eye contact, automatic framing and voice focus for any camera app, in Quick Settings.
• Recall (Copilot+, opt-in): searchable snapshots of your activity, encrypted and stored locally, with Windows Hello required to open it.

What Changed in Late 2026

• Fewer Copilot buttons: after committing in March 2026 to cut unnecessary Copilot entry points, Microsoft removed the Ask Copilot buttons from Snipping Tool and Photos.
• Notepad rebrand: Copilot in Notepad is now called Writing Tools.
• File Explorer: eight Copilot actions (Summarize, Create FAQ, Compare Files, Ask a question, Explain image, Explain images, Compare images, Extract text) are being removed from the right-click menu for OneDrive files, starting mid-November 2026 and completing worldwide by early December. Copilot is still reachable through the Ask Copilot menu entry, File Explorer Home and the OneDrive activity centre.
• Copilot app: Microsoft’s November 2026 Copilot update added Cowork, Skills and Autopilot. Details in the Copilot November 2026 update.

How to Turn These Features Off

• Notepad: Settings (gear) > turn off Writing Tools / AI features.
• Paint: sign out of your Microsoft account in Paint to disable account-based AI; Cocreator and Image Creator then stop working.
• Click to Do and Recall: Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots and Click to Do.
• Everything at once: my full guide how to turn off Copilot and every AI feature in Windows 11 covers Group Policy and registry options too.

Troubleshooting

The AI buttons are missing in Paint or Photos

Update the apps in the Microsoft Store (Library > Get updates) and Windows Update. Copilot+-only features won’t appear on PCs without a 40+ TOPS NPU.

Image Creator says you’re out of credits

Credits reset monthly. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family include a monthly allowance; check your balance in your Microsoft account.

Cocreator shows “downloading model” forever

On Copilot+ PCs, on-device models download in the background on first use. Stay on Wi-Fi, plugged in, and check Windows Update for AI component updates.

Generative erase leaves smudges

Brush a little wider than the object and apply in two passes. Large objects against detailed backgrounds are hardest.

Notepad AI is greyed out

Sign in to Notepad with your Microsoft account (profile icon) and check that AI isn’t disabled by your organisation on work PCs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Windows 11 AI features work without a Copilot+ PC?

Paint background removal and generative erase, Photos generative erase and background tools, Snipping Tool text extraction, and cloud features like Paint Image Creator and Notepad Writing Tools with AI credits.

Is Paint Cocreator free?

Yes on Copilot+ PCs, because it runs on the NPU. It needs a Microsoft account sign-in but no credits.

What are AI credits in Windows apps?

A monthly allowance for cloud AI features such as Image Creator and cloud Writing Tools, included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions.

What is Writing Tools in Notepad?

The new name for Notepad’s Copilot features in late 2026: Write, Rewrite and Summarise. You can turn it off in Notepad settings.

Is Microsoft removing Copilot from File Explorer?

It is removing eight Copilot actions from the right-click menu for OneDrive files between mid-November and early December 2026. Copilot remains available through Ask Copilot, File Explorer Home and OneDrive.

Can I upscale photos with AI in Windows 11?

Yes, on Copilot+ PCs the Photos app has super resolution, which upscales images up to 8x on the NPU.

How do I know if I have a Copilot+ PC?

Open Task Manager and look for an NPU under Performance, then check it’s rated 40 TOPS or more. Copilot+ PCs are also labelled on the box and in Settings > System > About.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a new PC to get useful AI in Windows 11: background removal, generative erase and the Snipping Tool’s text extractor are on every machine and genuinely handy. Copilot+ PCs add the fun on-device extras like Cocreator, relight and super resolution without any credits. And if you’d rather have less AI, Microsoft is finally removing some of the clutter, and every feature here can be switched off.

Related: Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and the best laptop for local AI if you’re thinking about an upgrade.

Sources

• Microsoft: AI tools and features in Windows 11
• Wccftech: Microsoft removes eight AI actions from File Explorer (21 Oct 2026)
• gHacks: Paint, Notepad and Snipping Tool AI features
• TechRadar: Cocreator and Restyle on Copilot+ PCs
• Windows Central: optional Copilot in Windows search