Major text formatting updates, such as code blocks, quote replies, and lists, are being tested by WhatsApp.WhatsApp has been experimenting with various new text formatting options, including lists, code blocks, and quote blocks. After iOS received first access, the useful formatting tools are now making their way to Android users on the beta branch, enabling them to improve their WhatsApp experience as well.
With these three new additions, WhatsApp now offers 7 ways to format text in all. Certain formatting options are readily apparent and can be accessed by simply selecting the text that needs to be styled, but others are not. We’ve enumerated every way you can experiment with text on the app below.
Code snippets are best organised with code blocks.
With the help of the code block feature, you can arrange and neatly display code and other monospaced fonts in a block rather than as a series of disorganised lines in a chat. To utilise it, merely encircle your text with backticks (~). When the text changes to a monospaced font, you’ll know it was successful.Code blocks are useful for formatting terminal output and other monospaced text, sharing code snippets with developers in an organised manner, or simply emphasising words with a different font.
Quotation blocks: Respond to messages “directly”
The quote block, which is similar to replying directly to a tweet on WhatsApp, is the ideal way to address a specific section of a message. To utilise it, simply place a > before the passage you wish to quote.Quotation blocks come in handy when you want to call attention to specific text while maintaining context, respond directly to a section of a lengthy message, and visually maintain chat threads.
Lists: Clearly arrange information
Instead of presenting information in lengthy text blocks, you can now present it in neat, numbered or bulleted lists with the new list formatting options.
To make a bulleted list, start each line with a * or – like:
– First item
– Second item
– Etc.
For a numbered list, start lines with a number:
- First item
- Second item
- Etc.
When you need to give instructions, list advantages and disadvantages, present choices or options, or outline task items in a lengthy message, lists can help you stay organised.
Bold: Highlight important terms
Using asterisks like this to highlight important words and phrases and grab the reader’s attention has made bold a WhatsApp mainstay. To draw attention to crucial information, emphasise a point, and make important terms stand out visually, use bold.
Italics: For a gentle accent
Similarly, readers have long been able to subtly emphasise text by using underscores to surround words like this in italics. Italics highlight key points, help make text stand out slightly less than bold, and effectively convey irony and sarcasm.
Strikethrough: Ideal for taking back remarks
With strikethrough, you can neatly cross out something by adding tildes {like this} to politely correct or retract a statement. When you want to clearly retract something, make a correction to a prior statement, or cross out options or choices, use strikethrough.
Monospace: Emphasising text
Additionally, you can format text “like this”} with three backticks in a monospaced font. It unifies the font, making it ideal for formatted poetry, text/ASCII art, and code snippets.
Please take note that, as of this writing, not all of the aforementioned text formatting options were available to everyone. However, given that they have surfaced in WhatsApp’s beta branches for both iOS and Android, a full release ought to come soon.
