To make text bold in WhatsApp, put an asterisk on each side (like this). Italic uses underline marks (like this), strikethrough uses tildes (like this), and monospace uses three backticks on each side. There’s no formatting button in the message bar: you type the symbols, and WhatsApp says you can’t turn the feature off.
The symbol for each format
This table follows WhatsApp’s own Help Center. Put the symbol right against the text on both sides.
| Format | What to type |
|---|---|
| Bold | *text* |
| Italic | _text_ |
| Strikethrough | ~text~ |
| Monospace | three backticks before and after the text |
| Bulleted list | * text or - text, one per line |
| Numbered list | 1. text, one per line |
| Quote | > text |
| Inline code | one backtick before and after the text |
The backtick (`) sits next to the 1 key on many US keyboards, usually above Tab. On a phone, look in the symbols screen of your keyboard.
On your phone (Android and iPhone)
On mobile, the method WhatsApp’s help page describes is typing the symbols yourself.
- Open a chat and tap the message field.
- Type the symbol, your text, then the same symbol again. For example,
*meet at 3 pm*. - Send it. The message arrives formatted.
A 2019 How-To Geek guide also describes a menu that appears when you long-press selected text: on Android, Bold shows up right away and the three-dot menu reveals the rest, and on iPhone you tap an option labeled BIU. The menu adds the symbols for you. Because that guide is old and WhatsApp changes its menus often, check whether it shows up in your version before you count on it.
On your computer (WhatsApp Web and desktop)
Desktop has a shortcut. According to the Help Center, after you type your text in the message field, double-click it and pick Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Inline code. That menu covers only those four, so lists, quotes and monospace still need typed symbols.
The same page carries a note: the newer text formatting is available only on WhatsApp Web and the Mac desktop app. If lists, quotes or inline code don’t work on your phone, try them from a computer.
Combining formats
Bold, italic and strikethrough can be stacked. For bold italic, open with both symbols and close with both in reverse order:
_*text*_
Monospace is the exception. How-To Geek notes that it can’t be mixed with the others, because it displays asterisks, underline marks and tildes literally instead of applying them.
Everyday examples
Formatting helps when a message holds something people will look for later. A few uses that work well:
- Group announcements: bold the date and time, as in
*Saturday, 2 pm*. Anyone scrolling back finds the key detail fast. - Shopping or to-do lists: one item per line, each starting with
-. If order matters, like steps in a process, use1.,2.and so on. - Answering part of a message: start with
>to quote the line you’re replying to, so people don’t have to scroll to find the original. - Corrections: strike through the old number and write the new one next to it, like
~$50~ $45. - Codes and commands: monospace sets an order number or a command apart from the sentence around it.
If you use WhatsApp to talk with customers, bold on a price or a deadline saves repeat questions. Voice notes are another time-saver: see how to transcribe them to text. For messages that need to go out at a set time, see our piece on WhatsApp scheduled messages.
When formatting doesn’t work
If your message goes out with the symbols still showing, check these in order.
- A symbol on both sides: WhatsApp’s rule is the same symbol before and after the text. Miss one side and nothing happens.
- App version: update WhatsApp in your app store. The newer formats roll out in stages, and the Help Center itself says part of them is limited to Web and Mac.
- Keyboard: some keyboards swap straight quotes and accents for typographic versions. Type the backtick from your phone’s symbols screen.
- Lists need a space: the marker (
*,-or a number with a period) must be followed by a space before the text.
If none of that helps, the safest route is writing and formatting in WhatsApp Web, where the Help Center confirms every feature.
What you can’t do
The Help Center lists eight formats and none of them changes font color or size. You also can’t leave formatting off: it applies to every message, so text that contains asterisks or underline marks for another reason, like a username, may come out formatted when you didn’t intend it.
FAQ
How do I make text bold in WhatsApp?
Put an asterisk before and after the text with no space between the symbol and the word: *text*. On a computer you can also double-click the typed text and choose Bold.
How do I cross out a word in WhatsApp?
Use a tilde on both sides: ~text~. That’s strikethrough.
How do I make a list in WhatsApp?
Start each line with an asterisk or hyphen and a space for bullets, or with a number, a period and a space for a numbered list. If it doesn’t work on your phone, try WhatsApp Web or the Mac app.
Can I turn off text formatting?
No. The Help Center says there’s no option to disable it.
