With WhatsApp you can provide text with text formatting. This is how you send your chats in bold, italics or strikethrough. And with the FixedSys font (Monospace) you can emphasize texts that must be legible, for example programming code. In this tip we explain how to do it.
- Text formatting
- Monospace font
Text formatting in WhatsApp: bold, italic or strikethrough
With WhatsApp you can spice up your text or emphasize certain words by using text formatting. You can use special codes for this while typing. This works on both your iPhone and WhatsApp Desktop.
- *Asterisk for bold*
- _Underscore for italics_
- ~
Tilde for crossed out~
This is how you apply it:
- Type one or more of the text formatting symbols (* or _ or ~).
- Now write the text you want to send and end with the same symbol you started with.
- On the iPhone you immediately see how your text is formatted. Check whether it is correct and send your message. The formatting symbols are not included if you have applied them correctly.
What you can also do on the iPhone is select the text and tap the special format button. You can recognize these by the formatted letters BIYOU. WhatsApp suggests with this symbol that you can also underline text, but that is not the case. You won’t find this button on WhatsApp Desktop.
Different font for WhatsApp: FixedSys (Monospace)
In addition to adjusting the text to italic, bold or strikethrough, you can also use a completely different font in WhatsApp. It involves the FixedSys font, which you enter by placing your text between these ``` characters. This is also called Monospace. This format is specifically intended for sending code samples to others, for example. How to use it:
- Type three high commas in a row (
```). On a physical keyboard, you’ll probably find it next to the Z key or 1 key. For the iPhone, you have to hold down the apostrophe and then select the high comma on the left (see screenshot below). - Now write or paste the text you want to send in Monospace and close again with three high commas.
- Do you use an iPhone? Then we advise to use the BIYOUbutton and choose Monospace.
- Check that your text looks good and that you have used the correct commas. You can also copy them from this article if you wish. Everything OK? Then you send the message.
Note that this font is only visible in WhatsApp. If your contact person reads the push notification, it will be shown in the phone’s font. Monospace is only visible when the message is opened in WhatsApp.
More WhatsApp tips? Check out our overview in which we list all WhatsApp tips and guides.