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How to open and edit a .txt file in Chrome or Edge

Updated October 31, 2026 · Written by the BookmarkFiles team

If you drag a text file into Chrome or Edge, it opens as a plain page of text. That is handy for reading, but the moment you try to fix a typo you find there is nothing to type into. This guide explains what the browser can and cannot do with a local text file, and the quickest ways to edit and save one.

How to open a .txt file in Chrome or Edge

There are three simple ways, and they work the same in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge:

Drag and drop. Drag the file from File Explorer onto an open browser tab. The file opens as plain text.
Open file. Press Ctrl + O in the browser, choose the file and press Open.
Open with. Right-click the file in File Explorer, choose Open with, then pick Chrome or Edge.

This works well for .txt and .log files. Some other file types are downloaded instead of shown, depending on the browser. Many people call a text file a “Notepad file”. It is the same thing: a plain .txt file that Notepad happens to open by default.

Why you cannot edit it there

A tab that shows a local text file is view-only. The browser does not give a web page permission to change files on your disk just because you opened one. Editing requires you to explicitly allow a page to write to that file, and that is what the browser's file access feature is for.

Edit and save a text file in the browser with BookmarkFiles

Open BookmarkFiles in Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer.
Click Add File and choose your .txt file. You can also drag the file from File Explorer onto the editor on the right.
Click in the text and edit. A red dot next to the file name shows that there are unsaved changes.
Press Ctrl + S to save. The first time, the browser asks whether the site may edit that file. Allow it, and the change is written to the original file.

The file is read and written inside your browser. Its contents are not uploaded anywhere. See how BookmarkFiles opens and saves your files for the details.

If you open the same files every day

Because the files stay in a list, you can keep a checklist, a template and a notes file one click apart instead of opening three windows. You can label each file with a short description, group files in folders and select several at once. The guide to organizing everyday text files shows how.

Other ways to edit a text file

Windows Notepad. Built in, simple and always there. Good for a quick edit of one file.
Notepad++. A free Windows editor with tabs, search in files and many options.
Visual Studio Code. A free editor that suits code and larger projects.

Our comparison of these tools explains when each one is the better choice.

If something looks wrong

Strange characters instead of readable text. The file probably uses a different encoding. See fixing garbled text files.
The file is refused. BookmarkFiles opens text files up to 10 MB. Binary files and very large logs are not supported.
The browser does not offer the file picker. Check the browser support guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can Chrome edit a text file?

Not by itself. Chrome and Edge can display a local text file but cannot save changes to it. A page such as BookmarkFiles can edit and save it after you give it permission to that one file.

Does saving upload my file to a server?

No. The page reads and writes the file in your browser. The contents never leave your computer.

Will it work on a Mac?

Yes, in Chrome or Edge on a desktop Mac. The same keyboard shortcuts apply, with Cmd instead of Ctrl.

Why does the browser ask for permission when I save?

Reading and writing are separate permissions. The browser asks the first time a page wants to change a file, so nothing is modified without your approval.

Related guides

Ready to try it? Open BookmarkFiles in Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer.