You can send text with typographical emphasis on mobile and in the Messenger desktop app, adding a unique spin to your messages.
How to Format Text in Messenger
You can easily format text in Facebook Messenger with the right characters or symbols. But what do all the icons and symbols in Messenger mean? Each type of emphasis has a symbol that you need to type before and after the text that you want to emphasize.
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However, the effects only show up on the web browser versions of Messenger.
Here are the symbols to use for different types of formatting, along with examples of how it looks when you send a message.
How to Add Bold Text in Messenger
To make text bold, type an asterisk (*) before and after the text. Bold text is most often used for strong emphasis on important phrases and keywords.
How to Make Italic Text in Messenger
To italicize text in Messenger, type an underscore (_) before and after the text. Like bold font, italics are often used to draw attention to a certain detail. More commonly, italic font is used to highlight names, foreign words, or when quoting dialogue.
How to Strikethrough Text in Messenger
If you want to draw a line through your text on Messenger, you can use strikethrough formatting. To do this, type a tilde (~) before and after the text.
Strikethrough text is typically used to indicate text that is no longer valid or text that should be removed from a draft.
How to Monospace Text in Messenger
To make monospace text, type a backtick (`) before and after the text. This is different from a regular apostrophe, and if you have a US keyboard you’ll find it on the same key as a tilde (~).
Most text you’ll see online will have proportional spacing—where each character occupies only as much width as it needs. Monospace is where each character occupies the same amount of space.
Many programmers prefer monospace text because it makes long blocks or chunks of text easier to read. While you can’t change the font you use permanently in Messenger, you can change your font on Instagram, which is good to know.
How to Send Blocks of Code in Messenger
Sending blocks of code in Messenger requires a little more work than the types of emphasis we’ve talked about so far. But don’t worry, it’s still relatively simple.
To send text in a block of code:
Type three backticks (```). Insert a line break (press Shift + Enter). Type in your text. Insert another line break. Type three more backticks.
Customize Your Facebook Messages With Text Formatting
Text formatting can really change how people interpret your messages. While you won’t be using a typographical emphasis in Messenger all the time, it’s handy knowledge to have for when you do need it.
Just remember that while you can send formatted text on the app, it only appears in the formatted style on the web version of Messenger.
