If you’re a Windows user looking to utilize all the features of the operating system and its integrated apps, there’s some bad news. Microsoft has started limiting the use of certain functions, and you’ll now need a paid subscription to access them. Specifically, this affects two programs that are integral to Windows: Windows Editor and Paint. Both of these have received new features over the past year, including AI functions for generating images and text analysis tools.
Windows Editor, for instance, got its own spell check with auto-correction, and you could use AI to describe text passages or shorten entire texts. Paint, on the other hand, received AI functions like image generation. Until now, these features were available for free to Windows Insiders. However, Microsoft is introducing a change that requires a Microsoft 365 subscription for the complete use of these tools. You’ll notice a new fade-in notification when you try to use these features, informing you about the need for a subscription. Without it, certain options will be grayed out.
It’s worth noting that you can still use Paint and the Editor without a subscription, but you won’t have access to all the features. This move by Microsoft is surprising, given that the company has never put these app components behind a paywall before. If you’re interested in getting Microsoft 365, it’s available from €10 per month.
These functions are no longer free of charge
In the Windows Editor (including Notepad), the following functions will be limited if you don’t have an active Microsoft 365 subscription:
- Suggesting alternative formulations using AI
- Generating alternative versions of a passage with different formats or tone
- Automatically reducing or extending texts
However, the spell check in different languages will still be available, even without a subscription.
For Paint, the main feature that will be restricted is the Image Creator, which uses OpenAI’s DALL-E to generate AI images based on your specifications. The automatic background removal for images will still be usable without a subscription.