Ever wondered how people make their messages stand out with bold, italic, or stylish fonts? Whether you're chatting on WhatsApp, writing notes, or sending an email, how your text looks can completely change how it’s received.

This guide is your go-to resource to learn how to format text easily in WhatsApp on Android and iPhone, even if you’re not tech-savvy. From bold headlines to subtle italics, we’ll walk you through everything in a simple, step-by-step way, so your words sound right and look the part.

You're in the right place if you want your messages to be clearer, catchier, or just more you. Let’s dive in and explore!

How Text Formatting Makes Your Message Stand Out in Conversations

Text formatting might seem small, but it plays a big role in how your message is perceived and understood. Here's why it's important:

1. Emphasises Key Points

Bold or italicised words highlight what's most important, helping the reader focus on your main message.

2. Grab Attention Instantly

Bold or italic text naturally draws the reader’s eye, helping key points pop without needing ALL CAPS.

3. Improves Readability

Well-structured text is easier to read. Breaking your message into smaller chunks with different formats can make a big difference in clarity.

4. Add Emotion and Tone

You can avoid misunderstandings by using formatting to clearly express your thoughts, whether you’re being serious, playful, or sarcastic.

5. Visually Appealing

Good formatting makes your messages look more polished and professional, making them stand out in a busy inbox or chat.

What are the Types of Text Formatting?

Text formatting on phones is simply the process of adjusting how your text looks, allowing you to emphasise or style certain parts of your message. Here’s a quick breakdown of what are different text formatting includes:

1. Bold

Makes your text stand out by darkening the font, helping to emphasise key words or phrases.

2. Italics

Slants your text to indicate a softer tone or highlight certain words, often used for intensity.

3. Strikethrough

Puts a line through your text, usually to show that something is no longer valid, or just to add a bit of humour or sarcasm to your message.

4. Monospace

Displays text in a fixed-width font, commonly used for technical messages or code-like formatting, making certain text parts look uniform and structured.

5. Underline

Although not commonly supported natively, some apps or third-party tools allow you to underline text to add further emphasis, like in formal documents or notes.

How to Format Text in WhatsApp on Android Devices

On Android, formatting text is relatively straightforward, and you can easily style your text Using Keyboard Shortcuts without needing any extra apps. Here’s how to do it in some of the most popular apps. If you’re using Gboard, you can quickly add bold or italics by typing special characters, like:

• For Bold: *text*
• For Italics: _text_
• For Strikethrough: ~text~
• For Underline: WhatsApp doesn’t offer a built-in option to underline text in your messages.
• For Monospace: Use triple backticks (```) to create monospace text (e.g., `text`).

 Bonus Tricks For Extra Formatting in Android Devices

Both Gboard and SwiftKey support some advanced formatting tricks. You can use emoji shortcuts or add creative symbols alongside your text to enhance the look and feel of your messages. These keyboard apps also have shortcuts for quick formatting, so you don’t have to type in special characters manually every time.

How to Format Text in WhatsApp on iOS Devices

Formatting text on your iPhone is easy. Here's how to format your text in popular apps, including WhatsApp. You can format text in WhatsApp on iPhone, which supports text formatting like bold, italics, strikethrough, and monospace using simple shortcuts:

• For Bold: *text*
• For Italics: _text_
• For Strikethrough: ~text~
• For Monospace: Use triple backticks (```) to format text in monospace (e.g., `text`).
• For Underline: Underlining in WhatsApp is not natively supported, but some third-party apps or tools can help you underline text before pasting it into WhatsApp.

Bonus Tricks for Extra Formatting in iOS Devices

 iOS devices have built-in formatting options that offer basic formatting for text, particularly in apps like iMessage, Notes, and Mail. Simply press and hold the text, and you’ll see the ‘BIU’ option pop up — from there, you can choose bold, italic, or underline formatting. To apply monospace, you must use third-party apps or format it through third-party keyboard apps.

Extra Tools & Apps to Style Your Text

Sometimes, the built-in formatting options just aren’t enough. You can also explore third-party apps and tools to unlock even more styling options beyond what your phone offers by default. These make it super easy to create eye-catching text in just a few taps:

1. Cool Fancy Text Generator (Web & App)

Type your message and get hundreds of stylish fonts and Unicode variations like italic, bold, or ⓒⓘⓡⓒⓛⓔ text. Copy and paste directly into WhatsApp.

2. Fonts App (Available on Android & iOS)

Use this app to apply custom fonts, underlines, cursive writing, and more. It even works inside other apps.

3. Stylish Text (Android)

This is a favourite among Android users. It gives you instant access to cool fonts, emoji styles, and formatting shortcuts via a floating bubble or in-keyboard styling bar.

4. Fontify or Sprezz Keyboard (iOS)

These iPhone-friendly apps let you write in unique fonts and styles. Perfect for social media bios, creative captions, or underlined/monospace WhatsApp messages.

Common Mistakes You Should Avoid While Formatting Text

Here are a few common mistakes people make while formatting text on phones, and let’s understand how you should avoid them:

1. Not Closing Formatting Properly:

Forgetting to add the closing symbol (like *, _, or ~) can result in the text not being formatted at all. Always double-check that the formatted text's start and end are correct.

2. Using Unsupported Formats in Some Apps:

Not all apps support all types of formatting. For example, WhatsApp doesn’t support underlining natively, and iMessage lacks bold and italic formatting. Know your app’s limits.

3. Mixing Multiple Styles in One Word:

Combining *_~ in the same spot can confuse the formatting engine and make your text look broken. If you must combine styles, apply them cleanly and in the right order.

4. Using Fancy Fonts Excessively:

Stylish fonts are fun, but using them everywhere can make it hard to read, especially in professional or formal messages. Keep it simple when clarity matters.

5. Forgetting Accessibility:

Some overly stylised fonts and formatting can be difficult for screen readers to interpret, making your message less accessible to everyone. Stick to standard formats in important or public messages.

Conclusion

Text formatting might seem like a small detail, but it can have a big impact on how your message is received. Whether you're using bold for emphasis, italics for style, or monospace for clarity, these tools help you communicate more effectively across different platforms.

From WhatsApp chats to emails and social media posts, mastering these simple formatting techniques can instantly elevate your writing. Now that you know how to format text on Android, iPhone, and popular apps, you're all set to make your messages clearer, more engaging, and much more fun to read.

Happy formatting ;)