Every app formats text differently. WhatsApp uses *asterisks* for bold, Discord uses **two**, Google Docs uses Ctrl+B, and Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn posts have no formatting at all. This cheat sheet lists the native method for bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough in each app, and the Unicode copy-paste fallback for apps that don't support them.
The rule of thumb: use an app's own formatting when it has it, because it stays searchable and accessible. Use copy-paste Unicode styles from the bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough generators only where an app has no option.
Text formatting cheat sheet: every platform at a glance
Find your app in the left column. "Unicode" means the app has no native option, so paste styled text from a generator instead. Shortcuts are shown for Windows; on a Mac, use ⌘ in place of Ctrl.
| Platform | Bold | Italic | Underline | Strikethrough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *text* | _text_ | Not supported (Unicode) | ~text~ | |
| Discord | **text** | *text* or _text_ | __text__ | ~~text~~ |
| Telegram | **text** or Ctrl+B | __text__ or Ctrl+I | Ctrl+U or the format menu | ~~text~~ or Ctrl+Shift+X |
| Slack | *text* or Ctrl+B | _text_ or Ctrl+I | Not supported (Unicode) | ~text~ or Ctrl+Shift+X |
| Google Docs & Sheets | Ctrl+B | Ctrl+I | Ctrl+U | Alt+Shift+5 (⌘+Shift+X on Mac) |
| Microsoft Word | Ctrl+B | Ctrl+I | Ctrl+U | Ctrl+D, then tick Strikethrough (⌘+Shift+X on Mac) |
| Microsoft Excel | Ctrl+B | Ctrl+I | Ctrl+U | Ctrl+5 |
| Markdown (GitHub, Reddit, Notion) | **text** | *text* | Not in standard Markdown | ~~text~~ |
| HTML | <strong> or <b> | <em> or <i> | <u> | <s> or <del> |
| Unicode bold | Unicode italic | Unicode underline | Unicode strikethrough | |
| TikTok | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode |
| LinkedIn posts | Unicode (articles have a toolbar) | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode |
| X (Twitter) | Unicode (Premium has some formatting on web) | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode |
| Facebook posts | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode | Unicode |
How do you format text in messaging apps?
Messaging apps use symbols around the words. Type the symbol, the text, and the same symbol again, with no spaces between the symbol and the word, and the app formats it when you send. The catch is that each app picked slightly different symbols.
WhatsApp formatting
WhatsApp uses single symbols: *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~, and ```monospace``` with three backticks. Since 2024 it also supports `inline code`, bulleted lists that start with - or *, numbered lists, and > quotes. You can combine styles, like *_bold italic_*, but WhatsApp has no underline. On WhatsApp Desktop, Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+Shift+X also work. These codes only work in chats, so for your profile name, About, or group name, paste Unicode bold instead.
Discord formatting
Discord uses Markdown: **bold**, *italic*, __underline__, ~~strikethrough~~, ||spoiler||, and `code`. You can stack them, like ***__bold italic underline__***. At the start of a line, # makes a header (up to ###), -# makes small subtext, and > makes a quote. None of this works in display names, nicknames, or statuses, which need Unicode styles. See tiny text on Discord for the subtext trick.
Telegram and Slack formatting
Telegram takes **bold**, __italic__, ~~strikethrough~~, and ||spoiler|| on desktop and web. On every device, you can select text and pick a style, including underline, from the menu. Slack is closer to WhatsApp: *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~, and `code`, plus Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+Shift+X. Slack has no underline.
How do you format text in Google Docs and Word?
Document editors use keyboard shortcuts. Select the text first, then press the shortcut. Bold, italic, and underline are the same almost everywhere: Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+U on Windows, or ⌘+B, ⌘+I, and ⌘+U on a Mac.
Strikethrough is the one that differs. In Google Docs and Sheets it's Alt+Shift+5 on Windows or ⌘+Shift+X on a Mac. Word for Windows has no default strikethrough shortcut, so press Ctrl+D and tick Strikethrough, or click the abc button on the Home tab. Word for Mac uses ⌘+Shift+X, and Excel uses Ctrl+5. Word also has a double underline (Ctrl+Shift+D) and a double strikethrough in the Font box.
How do you format text on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X?
You can't, natively. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn posts have no bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough options, and X only offers some formatting to Premium subscribers on the web. The workaround is Unicode: special characters that already look bold, italic, underlined, or crossed out, which you copy from a generator and paste in.
Use the bold text generator for headers and hooks, the italic text generator for emphasis, the underline text generator or strikethrough text generator for lines, and the cursive font generator for a handwritten look. Instagram is covered in detail in the Instagram bio fonts guide, and X in fonts for X/Twitter.
Native formatting vs Unicode text: which should you use?
Use native formatting whenever the app has it. It formats normal letters, so the text stays searchable, screen readers read it normally, and it counts as normal characters. It's lost when you copy it into a plain-text field, though.
Use Unicode only where there's no native option. It works anywhere text goes, but each styled letter is a different character. That means hashtags and search may not match it, screen readers may read it letter by letter, and bold or italic letters can count as two characters toward a limit. Underline and strikethrough also get stripped by some apps. Keep Unicode to short accents like a name, a header, or one key phrase.