TextToolboxTextToolbox
Social Media5 min read

How to Use Strikethrough Text on Discord, Instagram, and WhatsApp

Strikethrough text is perfect for showing edits, crossing out items, or adding humor to your messages. Here is how to make it work on every major platform.

What Is Strikethrough Text?

Strikethrough text has a horizontal line drawn through the middle of each character — like this. There are two ways to produce it: using platform-specific Markdown syntax (like Discord's ~~text~~), or using Unicode strikethrough characters that work anywhere you can paste plain text.

The Unicode approach is the most flexible — it works on Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and anywhere else Markdown doesn't apply.

Method 1: Strikethrough Text via Unicode (Works Everywhere)

This is the platform-independent method. Use the Strikethrough Text Generator on TextToolbox:

  1. Go to the Strikethrough Text Generator.
  2. Type or paste your text.
  3. The output with Unicode combining strikethrough characters appears instantly — it looks like: H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ W̶o̶r̶l̶d̶
  4. Click Copy and paste into any text field.

This output pastes into Instagram bios, Twitter bios, WhatsApp messages, TikTok bios, and anywhere that accepts Unicode.

Method 2: Discord Markdown Strikethrough

Discord natively supports strikethrough via Markdown:

  • Type ~~your text~~ — two tildes on each side.
  • Discord renders it as your text in the message display.

This only works inside Discord. If you copy that text and paste it elsewhere, the tildes show as plain characters, not formatting.

When to use which:

SituationMethod
Discord messages~~text~~ Markdown
Discord bios and display nameUnicode (copy-paste)
Instagram bios and captionsUnicode (copy-paste)
WhatsApp messagesUnicode (copy-paste)
Twitter / X bios and tweetsUnicode (copy-paste)
TikTok bioUnicode (copy-paste)

What About WhatsApp?

WhatsApp also supports its own strikethrough Markdown:

  • Type ~your text~ — one tilde on each side.
  • WhatsApp renders it as crossed-out text in the chat.

Like Discord, this only works inside WhatsApp. Use the Unicode generator for any other platform.

What Strikethrough Text Is Used For

Showing edits or corrections — cross out the old version and add the correction beside it. Writers use this in Twitter threads and Discord messages to show they changed something without deleting it.

Humor and irony — "I am totally fine please send help" reads as a joke instantly because the crossed-out text signals sarcasm.

Task lists in bios — some creators list goals in their Instagram bio with completed items crossed out using strikethrough characters.

Price comparisons — $99 now $49 is a classic pattern that reads clearly even without formatting support.

Editing markers in shared documents — when pasting into a tool that doesn't support tracked changes, Unicode strikethrough is a fast workaround.

Does Strikethrough Work on Instagram?

Yes — the Unicode strikethrough characters paste into Instagram bios and captions correctly. The line appears through each letter when rendered on both iOS and Android.

The one limitation: Instagram's own text editor won't produce strikethrough if you type inside the app. You need to generate the text outside (using the TextToolbox generator) and then paste it in.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ~~ outside Discord — the tilde syntax is Discord-specific. On Instagram it just shows two tildes before and after your word.
  • Using WhatsApp's ~ tilde on other platforms — same issue. Each platform has its own Markdown flavor; only Unicode works universally.
  • Trying to strikethrough numbers — Unicode strikethrough works on numbers too, but some platforms render numerals with strikethrough less cleanly than letters.

More Text Styling Tools

Back to all articles