How do I make bold text on WhatsApp?

Put an asterisk right before and after the text: *like this*. Works on mobile, WhatsApp Web, and Business.

Can I combine bold and italic?

Yes. Nest the symbols: *_text_* renders bold and italic at once. Just close each pair in the order you opened it.

Why didn't the formatting show in my message?

Common causes: a space between the symbol and the text (* like this * fails), a symbol without its closing pair, or a line break inside *bold*, _italic_, or ~strikethrough~ — only monospace spans multiple lines.

Can I change font or color on WhatsApp?

Not officially. WhatsApp only supports bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace. 'Fancy font' apps use Unicode characters that break screen readers and WhatsApp search — avoid them in business messages.

Free tool

WhatsApp text formatter

Apply bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace to WhatsApp text. Select the part, click a style, see the preview as in the app, and copy it ready.

Your message

Select a part and click a style. Click again to remove it. With no selection, the symbols are inserted at the cursor.

Preview — how it looks on WhatsApp

Your formatted text shows up here.

WhatsApp symbols: *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~ and ```monospace```.

Bold on WhatsApp is made with an asterisk right against the text: *like this*. Italic uses _underscores_, strikethrough uses ~tildes~, and monospace uses three backticks before and after. This formatter applies the symbols for you: type, select the part, click the style, and copy with a preview identical to the app. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.

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FAQ

How do I make bold text on WhatsApp?
Put an asterisk right before and after the text: *like this*. Works on mobile, WhatsApp Web, and Business.
Can I combine bold and italic?
Yes. Nest the symbols: *_text_* renders bold and italic at once. Just close each pair in the order you opened it.
Why didn't the formatting show in my message?
Common causes: a space between the symbol and the text (* like this * fails), a symbol without its closing pair, or a line break inside *bold*, _italic_, or ~strikethrough~ — only monospace spans multiple lines.
Can I change font or color on WhatsApp?
Not officially. WhatsApp only supports bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace. 'Fancy font' apps use Unicode characters that break screen readers and WhatsApp search — avoid them in business messages.