Windows 11 might be almost two years old now, but Microsoft isn’t done with changes and new features. Now, one of the best stylus features on the iPad is coming to Windows 11 computers.
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23481 is now rolling out to PCs enrolled in the Windows Insider program in the Dev Channel. The update includes improvements for Windows Ink, with greater accuracy when converting handwriting to text, and a scratch out gesture for making edits. You can write words and sentences with your PC’s stylus, and they will be converted to text in the selected text field. Microsoft said in a blog post, “The goal with Windows Ink is to let users use their pen and handwrite anywhere they can type on their Windows device.”
If that sounds familiar, it might be because writing in text fields dates back to the Windows 10 April 2018 update. What’s different now is that handwriting support will be available more broadly. Right now, Windows applications usually only support text input with handwriting if they are built with the Universal Windows Platform (which is now dead), or if they add the required code for ink input.
Apple’s iPad tablets already support handwriting text input in most apps when using an Apple Pencil (or other compatible stylus, like the Logitech Crayon). This change in Windows 11 would bring it more in line with the iPad, and could be a great feature for PCs that support stylus input.
It’s not clear when the changes will roll out to all Windows 11 PCs. It will be customizable from Settings > Bluetooth and devices > Pen and Windows Ink under Shell Handwriting.
Source: Windows Blog
