WhatsApp Formatting Tutorial

WhatsApp Strikethrough Text

How to cross out text on WhatsApp for iPhone, Android, and Web using the tilde symbol (~), format popups, bold combos, and crossed-out text for WhatsApp About bios.

WhatsApp Quick Syntax

Wrap your words in a single tilde (~):

~your text here~

Result: your text here

WhatsApp Formatting Combinations

WhatsApp allows you to layer markdown symbols together. Here is how to combine strikethrough with bold, italics, and monospace formatting:

WhatsApp markdown strikethrough combinations
Style	Type This in WhatsApp	What App Shows	Best Used For
Strikethrough	`~crossed out~`	crossed out	Basic horizontal line through text
Bold + Strike	`~bold strike~`	bold strike	Heavy emphasized cross-out for sales & notices
Italic + Strike	`_~italic strike~_`	italic strike	Slanted strike for sarcasm and corrections
Triple Combo	`_~all three~_`	bold italic strike	Bold, italicized, and struck-through together
Monospace + Strike	```~code strike~```	code strike	Fixed-width developer font with strike

Finding the Tilde (~) on Mobile Keyboards

The tilde symbol (~) is placed on secondary symbol pages on smartphones:

iPhone / iOS Keyboard: Tap the 123 key in the bottom-left corner, then tap the #+= symbol key. The tilde (~) is on the second row next to the backslash.
Android Keyboard (Gboard / Samsung): Tap the ?123 number key, then tap =\<. The tilde (~) appears in the middle row.
Touch & Hold Selection Menu: If you don't want to type symbols, type your words first, double-tap to highlight them, tap Format (or tap the 3 dots ⋮ on Android), and choose Strikethrough.

Common WhatsApp Mistakes to Avoid

Spaces next to tildes: ~ word ~ will NOT cross out text. The tilde must physically touch the first and last letters: ~word~.
Using two tildes: ~~word~~ is Discord syntax. In WhatsApp, two tildes will just print literal tildes on the screen.

Crossed-Out Text in WhatsApp "About" Profile Bio

A common frustration among WhatsApp users is trying to format their profile bio status line (Settings > Profile > About).

Why ~tilde~ doesn't work in WhatsApp About:

WhatsApp disables Markdown rendering in profile bios, group descriptions, and contact names to prevent spoofing. If you type ~busy~, your contacts will simply see the literal tildes.

The Solution: Use our Unicode Strikethrough Generator! Because Unicode combining characters are genuine plain-text letters rather than formatting tags, you can generate crossed-out words (like ̶b̶u̶s̶y̶) and paste them directly into your WhatsApp About profile without getting stripped.

Topic Cluster

Cross-Platform Strikethrough Guides

Guides and keyboard shortcuts for other platforms:

Docs→

Google Docs Strikethrough

Hotkeys (Alt+Shift+5 / Cmd+Shift+X), menu steps, and mobile app guide.

Word→

Microsoft Word Strikethrough

Ribbon access keys, Font dialog, double strike, and custom shortcut setup.

Excel→

Excel Strikethrough Guide

Ctrl+5 shortcut, Format Cells, and checkbox conditional formatting.

Discord→

Discord Strikethrough Guide

~~Tilde~~ markdown, bold strike, spoilers, and code block solutions.

WhatsApp→

WhatsApp Strikethrough Guide

~Tilde~ syntax, bold strike, and crossed-out text for WhatsApp About status.

Cheatsheet→

All Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete cross-platform cheatsheet for Windows, Mac, and web apps.

WhatsApp FAQs

Frequently asked questions about formatting WhatsApp messages, status lines, and web clients.

How do you strikethrough text in WhatsApp?

Wrap your text with a single tilde (~) on each side: ~your message here~. WhatsApp will automatically format it as crossed-out text when sent. Ensure there are no spaces between the tildes and the word (use ~word~, not ~ word ~).

Why does strikethrough not work in my WhatsApp About / bio status?

WhatsApp "About" profiles and status lines do NOT parse markdown tags like ~tildes~ or *asterisks*; they only show the literal symbols. To display crossed-out text in your WhatsApp bio, use our Unicode Strikethrough Generator, click Copy, and paste the Unicode text directly into your profile About section.

How do I do bold strikethrough on WhatsApp?

Combine asterisks and tildes on both sides of your text: *~your message~*. You can also add underscores for italic bold strikethrough: _*~bold italic strike~*_.

How do I strikethrough text in WhatsApp without typing tildes?

On iPhone and Android, highlight the word in your chat box, tap the popup menu (or the three dots "⋮"), tap "Format" (or "B_I_U"), and select "Strikethrough" from the options list.

Can I do double strikethrough or slash-through text on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp native markdown only supports a single line strike (~text~). To send double strikethrough, diagonal slash-through, or wavy strikethrough on WhatsApp, copy the desired Unicode style from our generator above and paste it into the chat.