Microsoft is adding 3 new MS Paint features to make it a better app

You may or may not be using MS Paint, but the application is there, and it is probably here to stay. It is so because Microsoft has just introduced 3 new MS Paint features to Windows insiders. While the features are still in beta testing, they are likely to make their way to the stable version soon.

The three new MS Paint features rolling out to developers are dark mode, new zoom settings, and improved shortcuts to quickly navigate between tools. Microsoft Windows already has a systemwide dark mode toggle, and Paint will now be one of the apps that switch to dark mode when you use this toggle.

Who is using MS Paint now?

Dark mode on MS Paint

There are speculations that this app is slowly and steadily losing its user base to countless alternatives. Powerful tools like Pixlr, Paint.Net, and GIMP are clocking more and more users. However, MS Paint lives right on your laptop/PC, which makes it more accessible.

Megan Saunders, a top Microsoft executive, wrote a blog on the official Microsoft site about Paint. This 2017 blog claims that Paint has a solid 100 million users, and it is “here to stay”. Paint is also a really simple Windows tool that lets you create as well as edit pictures. So advanced users may be switching to alternatives, but Paint remains a good option for children and students learning to draw on a Windows device.

Coming back to the new features, the dark theme on Paint does look good. There are also expert studies that claim dark mode reduces eye strain and helps you focus better on the subject. So it is safe to say this is a good feature for a drawing app.

New zoom feature on MS Paint

Next up, Microsoft has added new zoom controls like putting the exact value of zoom, a new zoom slider, and fit-to-screen options. All of these are already available on other apps like Microsoft Office Suite. So in this case too, it is an old MS feature rolling out for Paint now.

New Paint toolbar

Lastly, the company has updated the entire toolbar to match Windows 11 style and design. There are new keyboard shortcuts to help you easily navigate the app. This may sound underrated, but once you get started using keyboard shortcuts, you can save a ton of time throughout your usage.

If you want to try out the new Windows features before the stable rollout, you can sign up for the Windows Insider program here. However, be aware that these include experimental features so you may experience more bugs and app crashes than usual.