How to make text bold (and italic, strikethrough) on WhatsApp

Making text bold on WhatsApp (or italic, strikethrough, monospace) requires no app at all: just wrap your words in the right symbols. In this guide, you'll learn how to write in bold on WhatsApp in two seconds, combine formats, use the lists and quotes almost nobody knows about, and avoid the traps that break formatting — with ready-to-copy examples for your business.

How do you write in bold on WhatsApp?

Wrap your text in asterisks, touching the first and last character: type *special offer* and WhatsApp displays "special offer" in bold when you send. The asterisks disappear, only the style remains. Two rules to remember: no space between the asterisk and the word (* offer * won't work), and formatting doesn't cross line breaks — format each line separately. Use bold for what has to jump out: the price, the deadline, the call to action. Good news: the symbols are the same on iPhone, Android, WhatsApp Web, and the desktop app, and the result looks identical for your recipient whatever their device. What you learn here works everywhere.

Italic, strikethrough, monospace: the 4 native formats

WhatsApp automatically converts these symbols when you send:

• Bold : asterisks → *your text*
• Italic : underscores → _your text_
• Strikethrough : tildes → ~your text~
• Monospace : three backticks → ```your text```

Each format has its use: italic for nuance or a quote, strikethrough to show an old price (~€149~ €99 — devastating in e-commerce), monospace for a promo code or an order number the person needs to copy without errors.

Why it matters for your business: on WhatsApp, your messages land in the middle of personal conversations. A uniform wall of text gets skimmed; a message where the price, the date, and the action to take stand out in bold gets read in two seconds — and a message that's understood is a message that gets a reply.

How do you combine bold and italic?

Just nest the symbols: _*your text*_ gives you bold italic. You can also strike through bold text with ~*your text*~. The order of the symbols doesn't matter, as long as each pair is properly closed. One exception: monospace doesn't combine with the other formats — it's one or the other. A concrete example: _*Back-to-school offer*_ ~€197~ *€147* until Friday. Three formats, one message, and the essentials jump out.

Formatting without typing the symbols

On mobile, you can format without memorizing anything: select your text in the input field, then choose Bold, Italic, Strikethrough or Monospace in the menu that appears. And if you prepare your messages in advance, our WhatsApp styled text tool adds the formatting in one click: you type your message, click, and paste. It also offers stylized fonts (Unicode characters) that work inside WhatsApp.

Lists, quotes, code: the formats almost nobody knows about

WhatsApp also handles structural formats, very handy for longer messages:

• Bulleted list : start the line with a dash followed by a space → - your item
• Numbered list : start the line with 1. then 2. → 1. first step
• Quote : start the line with > followed by a space → > the quoted message
• Inline code : a single backtick on each side → `PROMO20`

A message structured as a list is far more readable than a wall of text — and a readable message gets more replies. The quote is perfect for answering a question point by point, and the numbered list for giving a step-by-step path: "1. Click the link 2. Pick your time slot 3. Confirm". It's especially useful for bulk sends: if you use WhatsApp broadcast lists, a well-formatted message makes all the difference at scale.

Ready-to-copy examples by profession

• Coach : *Final stretch*: only _3 spots_ left for the September session. Reply "OK" and I'll send you the details.
• E-commerce : Flash sale this weekend: ~€149~ *€99* on the collection. Code `FLASH99` valid until Sunday midnight.
• Restaurant owner : *Today's menu* — 1. Burrata and heirloom tomatoes 2. Sea bream fillet 3. Homemade tiramisu. _Booking recommended._
• Service provider : Your quote is ready: *€890 all included*, valid for _30 days_. Reference `QUO-2481` to mention for any question.

The principle: one bold element per message (the most important one), and the rest in normal text. To go further, pick from our WhatsApp message templates that sell or let our WhatsApp message generator write for you.

What about stylized "WhatsApp fonts"?

WhatsApp doesn't let you change the font natively. The decorative 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 or 𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽 texts you come across are Unicode characters : symbols that look like stylized letters and work everywhere, including in your profile name and your "about" — exactly where native formatting doesn't work. Our styled text generator produces them in one click. Another advantage: since they're characters like any others, they survive copy-paste everywhere, Instagram bio included. Still, use them sparingly: screen readers read them poorly, so keep the bulk of your messages in normal text.

Why isn't my bold working?

Almost always the same cause: a space between the asterisk and the word (* text * instead of *text*), a symbol opened but never closed, or formatting spanning two lines. Also check that you're using the right symbol — asterisk for bold, underscore for italic — and that your app is up to date. Finally, if you paste text prepared in another app, invisible characters can break the formatting: retype the symbols by hand directly in WhatsApp to check.

Does formatting work everywhere in WhatsApp?

It works in one-on-one conversations, groups, broadcast lists, and photo or video captions. Your profile name and your "about", however, don't interpret the symbols: to add style there, use the Unicode characters from our tool.

Can you change WhatsApp's default font?

No, there is no native setting to change WhatsApp's font. Your only two levers are the 4 native formats (bold, italic, strikethrough, monospace) and copy-paste Unicode fonts. That's more than enough to make what matters stand out.

A message that stands out — and then what?

A well-formatted message catches the eye and gets more replies. But every reply is a conversation to handle: qualifying, following up, proposing a time slot… and that's where your days blow up. Settyn takes care of it: the AI replies to your WhatsApp messages in under 30 seconds, 24/7, qualifies your prospects, and books appointments for you, through the official Meta APIs. From €97/month, with a 7-day free trial and no commitment — your styled messages deserve replies to match.