How to Remove Formatting and Restore Plain Text in Windows 11 Notepad

Notepad on Windows 11 has evolved from a simple text editor into a tool supporting lightweight formatting, including bold, italics, lists, and Markdown syntax. While these features enhance note-taking and document styling, they can interfere with workflows that rely on plain text.

Fortunately, Notepad still provides multiple ways to strip formatting and maintain a classic plain text experience.

1. Clear Formatting Using the Toolbar or Menu

Step 1: Open Notepad and paste or type your text. If the formatting toolbar is enabled, it appears at the top of the window.

Step 2: Click the Clear Formatting button (usually an eraser icon) to remove all styles, hyperlinks, and headings from the selected text or the entire document.

Step 3: Alternatively, use the Edit menu > Clear Formatting to achieve the same result.

Step 4: To verify plain text, switch between formatted Markdown view and raw Markdown via the View menu or the toggle button in the status bar. Raw Markdown shows plain text with symbols, while the formatted view applies styling.

2. Disable Formatting Features Entirely

If you prefer Notepad to behave strictly as a plain text editor, you can turn off all formatting features.

Step 1: Click the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right corner of Notepad.

Step 2: Scroll to Text Formatting and locate the Formatting toggle.

Step 3: Switch Formatting to Off and confirm when prompted.

Step 4: Exit Settings. All future documents will now be treated as plain text, with formatting automatically removed from pasted or typed content.

3. Save Files as Plain Text

Saving your files as plain text ensures that no hidden Unicode characters or formatting persist.

Step 1: Click File > Save As.

Step 2: Choose Save as text file. This strips all formatting and Unicode, leaving only basic plain text.

Reopen the file to confirm all formatting is removed.

4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Paste Without Formatting

While Notepad normally pastes as plain text, some Windows apps support Ctrl + Shift + V to paste text without formatting.

If formatting still appears, use the Clear Formatting button or disable formatting in Notepad settings for reliable results.

5. Remove Hidden or Special Characters

If pasted text still contains strange fonts or invisible formatting:

• Save the file as ANSI to remove hidden Unicode characters.
• Use Notepad++ or another advanced editor to search for and delete non-ASCII characters. For example, use [\x{0080}-\x{FFFF}] in Notepad++’s Find & Replace to target extended Unicode.
• Disable spell check and Copilot in Notepad settings to reduce interference.

For minimalistic editing, consider Notepad++ or Microsoft’s Edit app, which offer pure text editing without automatic formatting.

Conclusion

Windows 11 Notepad now supports formatting, but restoring plain text functionality is simple. Use the Clear Formatting toolbar, disable formatting in settings, save as plain text, or clean hidden characters to ensure your text remains unformatted. These steps bring back Notepad’s classic behavior, making copy-paste and text editing seamless.