In this guide (brought to you by SendWo), we’ll show exactly how to write bold text in WhatsApp on any device, why it’s useful, and practical tips to ensure your formatted messages always work.
Making text bold on WhatsApp is straightforward. Just surround the word or phrase with asterisks (*). For example, typing *important* and sending the message will display important in bold
. Follow these steps:
This simple trick ensures your announcements and important notes stand out so readers notice them right away.
On both WhatsApp mobile (Android/iOS) and WhatsApp Web/Desktop, the process is the same: use asterisks around your text. Additionally, you can use built-in formatting menus if you prefer not to type symbols. For instance, on Android and iPhone you can select a word, tap the popup menu, and choose “Bold” to apply it automatically. On WhatsApp Web/Desktop, highlight your text and click the B icon in the formatting toolbar (or simply type the asterisks as above). Either way, the effect is identical: Your text turns bold once sent. (Just make sure your app is updated to the latest version, since older versions may not support these formatting shortcuts.)
Bold Text in WhatsApp is a powerful way to draw attention in your messages. Here’s why you should use it:
As one expert guide notes, you can use Bold Text in WhatsApp to “highlight important information or headings” and “draw your reader’s eye to a part of a message”. In practice, this means your audience is far more likely to see and remember what matters. Example: If you announce a sale, writing 50% OFF tonight! bolds “50% OFF,” making the offer immediately obvious to everyone.
In addition to bold, WhatsApp supports a few other text styles using special characters (similar to Markdown). These let you add even more emphasis or structure:
All of these work with the same principle: the symbols vanish after sending, leaving only the formatted text. For example, typing ~Oops~ shows up as Oops andnote` shows as note once sent. These simple tricks let you style your chats without installing anything extra. (You can even combine formats by nesting symbols in reverse order, but be careful with complex cases.) With these options, you can break up a wall of text, highlight changes, and make important details really pop in your WhatsApp messages.
Here are some quick tips to ensure your formatting always works as expected:
Following these tips will help your text always show up bold when it should, and avoid confusion if it doesn’t appear right away.
A: Type your message with an asterisk on each side of the text. For example, writing hello and sending it will display hello in bold. The asterisks disappear after sending.
A: Check for extra spaces. There must be no space between the * and your text. For instance, hello works, but * hello * does not. Ensure there’s exactly one asterisk on each side, touching the text.
A: Yes. On WhatsApp Web or Desktop you can also use asterisks or highlight text and click the B icon in the formatting bar. The same asterisk rule applies as on mobile.
A: In addition to bold, WhatsApp supports italic (use underscores), strikethrough (~tildes~), and monospace (backticks). Just wrap your text in the appropriate symbol.
A: No. WhatsApp status updates do not support Markdown formatting. Bold only works in individual or group chat messages (and message templates).
