RTF is Microsoft’s cross-platform text format (1987) supporting bold, italics, tables, images — more formatted than TXT but simpler than DOCX. In 2026, used for compatibility across WordPad, TextEdit, emails.
As part of the document category, this format is highly optimized for its specific use case. Whether you are using it for professional or personal tasks, understanding how to handle .rtf files is essential for efficient digital workflows.
Open in WordPad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac). Convert to DOCX if needed.