Notepad for Mac does not exist but If you can’t live without it, here we show you how to run Windows NotePad on a Mac
For programmers, coders or just those that want to jot down notes, the humble and basic Notepad is still one of the most useful programs in Windows.
Although there are some excellent alternatives to Notepad for Mac, many Windows users miss the simplicity of Notepad.
However, Notepad isn’t available for Mac so the only way to use it is to install Windows on a Mac.
There are various ways to install Windows on a Mac but the easiest is by using Parallels.
Parallels is a virtual machine which allows you to run Windows and macOS simultaneously so that you can switch between the two whenever you want.
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Can You Run Notepad On M1/M2 Macs?
Parallels also runs Windows on the latest Apple Silicon M1, M2 and M3 chip Macs such as the M1 MacBook Pro and Mac Studio so that you can install and use Notepad on an M1, M2 and M3 Mac.
Can You Run Notepad Using Boot Camp On a Mac?
If you have an older Intel Mac you can also choose to use Boot Camp to install Windows and Notepad on a Mac.
Boot Camp is a free tool in macOS that allows you to dual boot your Mac in either macOS or Windows.
However, Boot Camp does not work on M1, M2 or M3 chip Macs so Boot Camp is not an option to install Notepad on a Mac if you have an Apple Silicon Mac.
Can You Run Notepad++ On Mac ?
Notepad++ does not exist for Mac either but you can also get Notepad ++ by running Windows on your Mac following the instructions below.
With this in mind, follow these instructions to install Notepad on a Mac.
- Download Parallels which will automatically install Windows 11 on your Mac. If you don’t want to purchase Parallels straight away, you can also try a 14 day free trial first. Microsoft no longer requires uses to activate Windows 11 with a product key in order to use it so the great thing is Windows doesn’t cost a cent nowadays unless you want to customize it.
- When you open Parallels, it will automatically Install Windows 11 for you from Microsoft.
- When Windows has finished installing on your Mac, you can then use Notepad in Windows 11. You can also download Notepad from the Windows store for free.
Windows Notepad has been redesigned for Windows 11 with a new design that suits the look of Windows 11 better and includes a new dark mode and new features such as multi-level undo.
You can check out our review of Parallels for more on how it works.