- WhatsApp has released four new text formatting options for their messaging app.
- The new options include bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code formats.
- The update with the new formatting options is live on Android, iOS, Windows, Web, and Mac platforms.
WhatsApp has been testing some new text formatting options for a while now, and we saw the first glimpse of it in a beta update in January. These new options are now out of the development phase and rolling out to users starting today across all platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, Web, and Mac. So, in this guide, we will take you through each text formatting option in WhatsApp and how to use it.
How to Use New Text Formatting Options in WhatsApp
The new text formatting options in WhatsApp include bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code. These are in addition to pre-existing options, which are Italic, Strikethrough, Bold, and Monoscope. We have briefly explained the use case and how to use each of the formats in your messages below.
- Bulleted lists: This can come in handy for creating a list of items. To use it, type: “-” followed by a space and the message to start the list. Note that you will have to repeat the process to add more items to the list. For example: – Fruits, – Milk, – Soap, etc.
- Numbered lists: This is another list format that you can use for steps of a process. Just add a digit between 1 to 9 then a period and space followed by your message to use it. For example: 1. 2. 3. and so on.
- Block quotes: This can be used to quote someone in a group or highlight something. Type “>” followed by a space and then your message. For example: > Where were you yesterday?
- Inline code: You can use it to show a line of code or highlight a sentence. Add the ‘ symbol at the beginning and the end of your message. For example: ‘This is a great book.’
You can refer to this official image shared by WhatsApp, which sums up all the new text formatting options we have discussed above. It also shows you how to use the older formatting tools.
While I have rarely seen anyone using text formatting options in regular conversations, I think they can come in quite handy in group chats. Moreover, I can already think of a few ways to utilize bullet and numbered list formats in my bookmarks within WhatsApp.
These text formatting options are now live, so try them out for yourself. Share what you think about them in the comments below.
