Where strikethrough works app by app
Some apps have their own strikethrough, some need the copy-and-paste version, and documents use a keyboard shortcut. Here’s the whole map.
Social apps and chat
Chat apps that read Markdown-style symbols draw a proper line and don't use up your character limit. Everywhere else, paste Unicode strikethrough from the generator.
| App | Typed shortcut | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | ~~text~~ | Message: 2,000 |
| None, paste Unicode | Bio: 150 | |
| X / Twitter | None, paste Unicode | Post: 280 |
| None, paste Unicode | Bio: 101 | |
~text~ | About: 139 | |
| TikTok | None, paste Unicode | Bio: 80 |
| YouTube | -text- | Title: 100 |
~~text~~ | Post title: 300 | |
| Telegram | ~~text~~ | Message: 4,096 |
| None, paste Unicode | Post: 3,000 | |
| Slack | ~text~ | · |
| Snapchat | None, paste Unicode | · |
- Discord ~~text~~
- Instagram unicode
- X / Twitter unicode
- Facebook unicode
- WhatsApp ~text~
- TikTok unicode
- YouTube -text-
- Reddit ~~text~~
- Telegram Ctrl+Shift+X
- LinkedIn unicode
- Slack ~text~
- Snapchat unicode
Documents, email and code
Word processors, spreadsheets and email clients have real formatting, so they use a keyboard shortcut or a button instead. The formatting stays inside the app. Copy the text somewhere plain, like a chat or a social bio, and the line disappears, which is when the Unicode version comes in handy.
| App | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Alt Shift 5 | ⌘ Shift X |
| Google Sheets | Alt Shift 5 | ⌘ Shift X |
| Google Slides | Alt Shift 5 | ⌘ Shift X |
| Word | Ctrl D, Alt K | ⌘ Shift X |
| Excel | Ctrl 5 | ⌘ Shift X |
| Notion | Ctrl Shift S | ⌘ Shift S |
| Gmail | Formatting options → S̶ button | |
| Outlook | ab̶c̶ button (Format Text tab) | |
- iPhone Aa menu
- Android any app
- Mac shortcuts ⌘⇧X
- All shortcuts table
- Google Docs Alt+Shift+5
- Word Ctrl+D, Alt+K
- Excel Ctrl+5
- Google Sheets Alt+Shift+5
- Google Slides Alt+Shift+5
- Gmail formatting bar
- Outlook ab̶c̶ button
- Notion Ctrl+Shift+S
- HTML & CSS <s> <del>
- Markdown ~~text~~
- PowerPoint Ctrl+T, Alt+K
- OneNote Ctrl+-
- Teams ~~text~~
- Pages · Keynote · Numbers Format menu
Why the two methods behave so differently
A typed shortcut like ~~text~~ or a keyboard shortcut applies formatting: the app stores your plain words plus an instruction to draw a line. It looks right, it's searchable, and screen readers can handle it. But the instruction only exists inside that app.
Copy-and-paste strikethrough changes the text instead. Each letter is followed by an invisible combining mark that draws a stroke through it, so the line goes wherever the text goes. The cost is length (twice the characters), search (struck words don't match plain ones) and accessibility (some screen readers read every mark). That's why every guide here recommends the native method when the app has one.