Microsoft has unveiled the recently teased "big update" for the Sticky Notes app, the default program for quick note-taking in modern Windows versions all the way back to Vista. It is now available for testing in preview... in OneNote. Microsoft heard that you like taking notes, so they put a notes app into a notes app so you can note while you note.
Jokes aside, Microsoft says this is only the first stage of testing, and future updates will make it possible to launch the reworked stickies separate from OneNote. With that said, you can still pin the updated Sticky Notes app to the taskbar or launch the app with the new Win + Alt + S shortcut.
In addition to a fresh coat of paint, the app introduces a convenient feature that makes it easier to write notes and screenshot web pages, apps, and documents. You can take a screengrab of a file or website, and Sticky Notes will link the screenshot, allowing you to get back to the source with a single click.
Other than that, Sticky Notes remain Sticky Notes. You can create multiple notes, change their colors, format text inside, and sync them across devices using a Microsoft Account (your stickies are accessible on mobile via OneNote for iOS and Android). There are no mentions of Copilot or any sort of AI-powered features, which is a bit odd considering that even Notepad has a built-in Copilot integration nowadays.
According to Microsoft, the new Sticky Notes app is now rolling out to Microsoft 365 Insiders in the Current Channel (Preview). To access it, you need OneNote for Windows version 2402 with build number 17328.20000 or later. Note (heh, get it?) that it is a gradual rollout, which means some users might get it a bit later than others.