Instant messaging has become an essential part of everyday communication, and WhatsApp continues to be one of the most widely used platforms across the world. From personal chats to professional conversations, WhatsApp is often the first choice for quick and reliable communication. To make messages clearer and more expressive, WhatsApp offers built-in text formatting options that allow users to highlight important words or phrases.
Although WhatsApp does not support custom fonts, it provides several useful formatting tools such as Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, and Monospace. These features are enabled by default for all users and cannot be turned off. Whether you are emphasizing an important point, correcting information, or making messages easier to read, text formatting can significantly improve communication.
What Text Formatting Options Does WhatsApp Offer?
WhatsApp’s formatting features are designed to keep things simple while still being effective. The available options include:
- Bold – To highlight important words
- Italic – To add emphasis or context
- Strikethrough – To show corrections or outdated information
Monospace– Often used for code-like text or instructions
These options work on both Android and iOS devices and can be used in personal as well as group chats.
How to Make Text Bold or Italic on WhatsApp (Using BIU Option)
WhatsApp provides an easy on-screen option to format text directly while typing a message.
Follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your smartphone.
- Go to an individual chat or group chat where you want to send the formatted message.
- Tap on the message box and type your text.
- Press and hold the word you want to format. To select a full sentence or paragraph, adjust the selection handles.
- A pop-up menu will appear. Tap on BIU.
- Choose Bold or Italic as required.
- Send the message.
The selected text will instantly appear in the chosen format, making your message more noticeable and easier to understand.
Alternative Method: Use Symbols for Formatting
Some Android users may not see the BIU option in the pop-up menu. In such cases, WhatsApp allows formatting using simple symbols.
Symbol-based formatting:
- To make text italic, place an underscore (_) on both sides of the word.
- Example:
_Hello_→ Hello
- Example:
- To make text bold, place an asterisk (*) on both sides.
- Example:
*Hello*→ Hello
- Example:
This method works universally across devices and WhatsApp versions.
Why Use Text Formatting on WhatsApp?
- Highlights important information
- Makes long messages easier to read
- Improves clarity in professional chats
- Adds structure to instructions and announcements
Final Thoughts
WhatsApp’s text formatting tools may seem basic, but they are extremely useful in daily communication. Whether you use the BIU menu or symbol-based formatting, these features help you express messages more clearly without installing any additional apps.
