To strikethrough text in WhatsApp, put a tilde on both sides of the words with no spaces, like ~this~, or select the text and choose Strikethrough from the formatting menu. It works the same on Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web and the desktop apps.
The Tilde Shortcut: Instant Strikethrough
WhatsApp has no formatting toolbar above the keyboard. Instead it reads a few simple symbols, a little like Markdown. For strikethrough, that symbol is the tilde (~).
Type a tilde (~), followed by the word or phrase, and then another tilde immediately after it.
Example: ~This is a mistake~ becomes This is a mistake.
There is one non-negotiable rule for this to work: No spaces. If you type ~ word ~, the tildes will remain visible as plain text. The symbols must hug the characters they are modifying. This behavior is consistent across the WhatsApp iOS app, Android app, and the desktop/web clients.
Why use strikethrough instead of deleting?
WhatsApp lets you edit a message for up to 15 minutes after sending it, and edited messages show an "Edited" label. Strikethrough is still the better choice in three situations:
- Changelogs and Updates: If you are coordinating a project and a deadline or link has changed, striking through the old information and placing the new info next to it provides a paper trail. It prevents others from wondering if they misremembered the previous message.
- The "Dry Humor" Effect: Strikethrough is a common way to signal a comedic aside or a thought the sender is "pretending" to hide. It adds a layer of tone that plain text often lacks.
- Task Management: In shared family or work groups, reacting to a grocery list item by sending back the items with strikethroughs is a fast, visual way to indicate completion without cluttering the chat with "Done" or "Got it."
If you find memorizing symbols tedious, or if your mobile keyboard makes finding the tilde a three-tap nightmare, you can use the native UI menu.
On iOS:
- Type your text.
- Double-tap the word or tap and hold the phrase to select it.
- Tap the Format button (you may need to tap the right arrow
> first).
- Select Strikethrough.
On Android:
- Type your text.
- Tap and hold the text you want to format.
- From the floating menu, tap the three-dot icon.
- Select Strikethrough.
The menu is slower than typing the symbols once you're used to them. If you'd rather not type them at all, our WhatsApp text formatter adds the symbols for you and can open the message straight in WhatsApp.
Combining Strikethrough with Bold and Italics
WhatsApp lets you stack styles, as long as the symbols nest properly and close in the reverse order you opened them.
- Bold + Strikethrough:
*~text~*
- Italic + Strikethrough:
_~text~_
- The Full Stack:
*_~all three~_*
If the symbols overlap instead of nesting (for example ~*text~*), WhatsApp may show them as plain characters, so always close them in the reverse order you opened them.
In February 2024, WhatsApp added four more formats on Android, iPhone, the web and Mac: bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes and inline code.
Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Start a new line with the trigger, followed by a space:
- Bulleted Lists: Type a dash (-) or an asterisk (*) followed by a space.
- Numbered Lists: Type a number (1, 2, etc.) followed by a period and a space.
Quotes and Inline Code
- Block Quotes: Use the angle bracket followed by a space (
> ) to highlight a specific part of a previous message you are responding to.
- Inline Code: Use a backtick (`) to wrap text. This is useful for passwords, courier codes, or technical snippets because it uses a fixed-width font and prevents the app from auto-formatting special characters inside the backticks.
Strikethrough or edit? A quick rule
Edit the message when the old text doesn't matter, such as a typo. Use strikethrough when people need to see what changed, such as a new meeting time, a price or an address:
The meeting is at 10:00 11:30 on Tuesday.
The crossed-out time tells everyone the plan moved, which a small "Edited" label can't do on its own. Editing also only works for 15 minutes; strikethrough works in any new message.
When using strikethrough for longer paragraphs, be aware of WhatsApp’s truncation rules. In notification previews, the formatting symbols can appear as plain text. The recipient might see ~This is a secret~ in their push notification because the OS banner doesn't always render the formatting.
Inside the app, long messages are truncated with a "Read More" link. If your strikethrough begins before the "Read More" break but the closing tilde is after it, the formatting usually applies correctly once the user expands the message, but the unexpanded view might look broken or unformatted. To avoid this, keep formatted snippets short and near the start of a long message.
Accessibility and Screen Readers
It is important to note that text formatting in WhatsApp is primarily a visual experience. When a screen reader (like VoiceOver on iOS or TalkBack on Android) encounters a WhatsApp message with a strikethrough, it typically does not announce "strikethrough" before the word. It simply reads the text as if the formatting weren't there.
If you are communicating something where the distinction between the old (struck-through) info and the new info is critical for an employee or friend who uses assistive technology, do not rely on the tilde/strike alone. Use explicit words like "Updated to:" or "Correction:" to ensure the message is clear for everyone.
WhatsApp has no underline format. If you really need one, an underline text generator adds a Unicode line under each character, but it can look uneven and screen readers handle it poorly, so use it sparingly.
