How to Strikethrough Text in WhatsApp
Strikethrough text in WhatsApp draws a horizontal line through your words. It's a versatile formatting option used for corrections, humour, showing changes, or indicating something is no longer relevant. This guide covers the syntax, platform-specific tips, practical use cases, and a visual tool that makes it even easier.
The Quick Answer
To strikethrough text in WhatsApp, place a tilde (~) before and after the text:
~This text will be struck through~
When sent, it appears as: This text will be struck through. The tildes disappear and a line is drawn through the text.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open your chat — go to the conversation where you want to send a message with strikethrough formatting.
- Type your message — write your message normally.
- Add tildes — place a
~character directly before and after the text you want to strike through. No spaces between the tilde and the text. - Send — the text appears with a line through it for all recipients.
Finding the Tilde Key
The tilde (~) isn't always easy to find on every keyboard:
- US/UK keyboard —
Shift + `(the key left of 1 / above Tab) - iPhone — tap
123→#+=→ find~ - Android (Gboard) — tap
?123→=\<→ find~ - Spanish/German keyboard — may require long-pressing a key or switching to a symbols page
Strikethrough on Different Platforms
iPhone (iOS)
Type the tildes manually. iOS also offers a text selection shortcut: select the text, tap “BIU”, then choose “Strikethrough.” This adds the tildes automatically.
Android
Type the tildes manually using the symbol keyboard. The tilde is usually on the second or third page of the symbols keyboard, depending on your keyboard app.
WhatsApp Web & Desktop
Type tildes manually. On WhatsApp Web, you can also use Ctrl+Shift+X(Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) after selecting text as a keyboard shortcut.
Examples
| You type | WhatsApp shows |
|---|---|
~mistake~ | |
Price: ~$50~ $35 | Price: |
Meeting at ~2pm~ 3pm | Meeting at |
~old plan~ *new plan* |
When to Use Strikethrough
Strikethrough is perfect for:
- Corrections — show what changed: “Meeting at ~2pm~ 3pm”
- Price reductions — “Was ~$99~ now $59”
- Humour and sarcasm — “That was ~terrible~ interesting”
- Task lists — mark completed items: “~Buy groceries~”
- Showing edits — make your thought process visible
- Cancelled items — “~Friday dinner~ cancelled”
Combining Strikethrough With Other Formats
You can combine strikethrough with bold or italic:
~*bold strikethrough*~→bold strikethrough~_italic strikethrough_~→italic strikethrough*~bold strikethrough~*→bold strikethrough
Common Mistakes
- Using hyphens instead of tildes —
-text-does NOT create strikethrough. You must use the tilde character~. - Spaces next to tildes —
~ text ~won't work. The tildes must touch the text directly. - Mixing up with code formatting — backticks (
`) create monospace text, not strikethrough. Tildes (~) are for strikethrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the strikethrough symbol for WhatsApp?
The tilde character (~) is used for strikethrough in WhatsApp. Place one tilde before and one after the text: ~like this~. On most keyboards, the tilde is found by pressing Shift + the key to the left of the number 1.
Can I strikethrough multiple words in WhatsApp?
Yes, you can strike through multiple words by placing tildes around the entire phrase: ~all of these words will be struck through~. The tildes must be at the beginning and end of the phrase with no spaces between the tilde and the text.
Does strikethrough work on WhatsApp Web?
Yes, strikethrough works on all WhatsApp platforms including WhatsApp Web, the desktop app, iPhone, and Android. The tilde syntax (~text~) is universal across all platforms.
Why is my strikethrough not working in WhatsApp?
The most common reasons are: spaces between the tilde and text (~ text ~ won't work), using the wrong character (make sure it's the tilde ~ and not a dash or hyphen), or running an outdated version of WhatsApp. Update your app and try again with no spaces: ~text~.