How to Strikethrough on Discord: 3 Easy Ways

Strikethrough text on Discord lets you cross out a word or phrase while keeping it visible, which is perfect for showing edits, jokes, or sarcasm in your messages. You can apply it on desktop, mobile, or via keyboard shortcuts, and this guide walks you through every method. No special permissions or bots are needed—just the Discord app and a message box.

What You’ll Need

• The Discord app (desktop, web, or mobile) or the Discord website in a browser.
• Access to any server or direct message where you can type.
• No special roles, permissions, or third-party tools are required.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Using Markdown (Desktop and Web)

1. Open Discord in your desktop app or web browser and navigate to the chat channel or direct message where you want to send the message.
2. Click the message input box at the bottom of the screen.
3. Type two tilde characters (~~) immediately before the text you want to strikethrough.
4. Type two more tildes (~~) immediately after the text. For example: ~~this is crossed out~~.
5. Press Enter to send the message. The text between the tildes will appear with a horizontal line through it.

Method 2: Using the Formatting Toolbar (Desktop and Web)

1. Open the chat input box as before.
2. Type the text you want to format, but do not send it yet.
3. Highlight the text with your mouse or by holding Shift and using the arrow keys.
4. Click the Strikethrough button (it looks like an S with a line through it) in the small formatting toolbar that appears above the highlighted text.
5. The tildes will be added automatically. Press Enter to send.

Method 3: Using Keyboard Shortcuts (Desktop)

1. Type the text you want to format in the message box.
2. Highlight the text with your mouse or keyboard.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac. This wraps the selection in double tildes instantly.
4. Press Enter to send the formatted message.

Method 4: On Mobile (iOS and Android)

1. Open the Discord app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap the message input box at the bottom.
3. Type the text you want to strikethrough.
4. Highlight the text by tapping and holding it, then dragging the selection handles.
5. Tap the Strikethrough button (the S with a line) in the pop-up formatting menu. If you don’t see it, tap the Format icon (a pencil or Aa icon) first.
6. Send the message by tapping the send button.

Common Mistakes

• Using single tildes: One tilde on each side (~text~) does not create strikethrough; it does nothing in Discord. You must use exactly two tildes on each side.
• Spaces between tildes and text: ~~ text ~~ will not work. The tildes must touch the text directly, with no spaces.
• Forgetting to close the tildes: If you only add ~~ at the beginning, the rest of the message may be struck through, or it may not format correctly.
• Using the wrong slash command: There is no slash command like /strike that works in regular chat. Only markdown or the toolbar works.
• On mobile, tapping the wrong button: The strikethrough button is often next to the bold and italic buttons; tapping bold or italic instead will format incorrectly.

Tips

• Combine with other formatting: You can use strikethrough with bold (**~~text~~**) or italic (*~~text~~*) for emphasis.
• Use it for edits: Show a corrected word by striking through the old one and adding the new one, e.g., ~~dog~~ cat.
• Keyboard shortcut speed: On desktop, the Ctrl+Shift+X shortcut is the fastest way if you’re typing a lot.
• Preview before sending: On desktop, you can see the formatting live as you type. On mobile, you may need to send a test message to confirm.
• Works in all chat areas: Strikethrough works in channels, DMs, group DMs, and even in your own notes (if you use the Discord notes feature).

Troubleshooting

• Strikethrough not showing: Double-check that you have exactly two tildes on each side with no spaces. If you’re on mobile, ensure you’re using the correct formatting button.
• Text appears with tildes visible: This usually means you have a space between the tildes and the text, or you used only one tilde. Remove the spaces and add the second tilde.
• Formatting works in one channel but not another: Some servers may have a moderation bot that disables markdown. Try in a different channel or DM to confirm it’s not a server-wide setting.
• Keyboard shortcut not working: Make sure you’re using the correct shortcut for your OS (Ctrl for Windows, Cmd for Mac). Also, ensure the text is highlighted before pressing the shortcut.
• Mobile toolbar not showing: If you don’t see the formatting toolbar after highlighting, tap the Format icon (usually an Aa or pencil icon) in the message input area. If it still doesn’t appear, update the app to the latest version.
• Strikethrough not applying to the whole phrase: If only part of the text is struck through, check that the closing tildes are placed correctly. The tildes affect everything between them, so ensure they are placed at the exact start and end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I strikethrough text in a server name or channel name?

No, markdown formatting only works in message content, not in server or channel names. Those are set by server admins and cannot be formatted with tildes.

Does strikethrough work in Discord’s mobile app?

Yes, it works on both iOS and Android. You can either type the tildes manually or use the formatting toolbar after highlighting text.

Can I strikethrough part of a word?

Yes, you can place the tildes around any portion of a word. For example, un~~believ~~able will strike through only the middle part.

Is there a way to strikethrough without using tildes?

Yes, the formatting toolbar and keyboard shortcut both add the tildes for you, so you don’t have to type them manually. But the underlying markdown is always double tildes.

Does strikethrough work in Discord’s code blocks?

No, text inside code blocks (using backticks) is displayed as plain code and ignores all markdown formatting, including strikethrough.

Can I remove strikethrough from a message I already sent?

You cannot edit a message to remove strikethrough without also editing the text. Click the edit button (pencil icon) on your message, delete the tildes, and save. If you don’t want to edit, you can delete the message and resend it.

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