Underlining text on Android is a function that is often required when composing messages, creating documents, or working with notes. Despite its apparent simplicity, many users encounter difficulties: standard keyboards (for example Gboard or Samsung Keyboard) do not always offer an obvious way to enable underlining. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods - from built-in tools to third-party applications, as well as nuances for different versions Android and manufacturers.

It is important to understand that the approach depends on the context: underlining in WhatsApp is typed differently than in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. We will look at universal solutions, as well as specific instructions for popular applications. If you are looking for a way to highlight text not only with underlining, but also with italics or bold, the article has a bonus section with formatting combinations.

We will warn you in advance: some methods require installing additional keyboards or editors. However, most methods work without root access and do not violate the device warranty. Let's proceed to a detailed analysis!

1. Underlining through a standard keyboard (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard and others)

Most users Android use default keyboards - Gboard (from Google) or proprietary solutions from manufacturers (Samsung Keyboard, MIUI Keyboard for Xiaomi etc.). Unfortunately, they do not have a direct button for underlining, but there are workarounds.

For Gboard and similar keyboards, the algorithm is as follows:

  1. Open any text field (for example, in Messages or Notes).
  2. Type the text you want to underline.
  3. Select the text with a long press, then tap on the icon "Formatting" (usually a letter A with an underline or three dots).
  4. In the menu that appears, select Underlined (or U on some keyboards).

On Samsung Keyboard the path is a little different:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Type the text and select it.
  • ๐ŸŽฏ Click on the icon โ‹ฏ (three dots) in the toolbar above the keyboard.
  • ๐Ÿ”ค Select Text Style โ†’ Underline.
โš ๏ธ Attention: On some versions MIUI Keyboard (for Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco), the underline option may not be available. In this case, use the methods in the following sections.

If your keyboard does not support formatting, check its settings:

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ System โ†’ Keyboard (path may vary).
  2. Select your keyboard (for example, Gboard).
  3. Find the section Text tools or Formatting and turn on the option Format panel.
๐Ÿ“Š What keyboard do you use on Android?
Gboard
Samsung Keyboard
MIUI Keyboard
SwiftKey
Other

Messengers often have their own formatting rules text Let's consider the most common ones:

In WhatsApp and Telegram underscore is added through markup:

  • ๐Ÿ“Œ Wrap the text in underscores: _Your text_ (for Telegram).
  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ In WhatsApp use the combination: _text_ (underlining) or ~text~ (strikethrough).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ For Viber underlining is not available through markup - use copying from other applications (see section 4).

Example for Telegram:

_This text will be underlined_

__And this is bold and underlined__

Important: WhatsApp markup only works if enabled in the chat settings:

  1. Open. chat.
  2. Tap on the three dots at the top โ†’ More โ†’ Formatting.
  3. Make sure the option Monospace and formatting is active.
โš ๏ธ Attention: In a group chat WhatsApp markup may not be displayed for participants with outdated versions of the application (below 2.21.15).
Messenger Underline syntax Supports combination with bold/italics?
Telegram _text_ Yes (__*text*__)
WhatsApp _text_ No
Viber โ€” No
Signal _text_ Yes

3. keyboards with underline support

If the built-in tools are not enough, install a keyboard with advanced formatting functions. Best options:

  • ๐Ÿ”น SwiftKey (from Microsoft): supports underlining through the toolbar After installation:
    1. Select text.
    2. Click on the A icon in the bar above the keyboard.
    3. Select Underlined.
  • ๐Ÿ”น Fleksy: Allows you to create custom formatting gestures. data-i="144">Settings โ†’ Gestures Settings โ†’ Gestures.
  • ๐Ÿ”น AnySoftKeyboard: open source, supports HTML tags (for example, text).

    • How to install and configure SwiftKey:

    Download SwiftKey from Google Play|Activate the keyboard in Android settings|Open any text field and select SwiftKey as the default keyboard|Type text, select it and use the format bar-->

    The advantage of third-party keyboards is cross-platform For example, SwiftKey synchronizes settings between Android and iOS, which is convenient for users of multiple devices.

    โš ๏ธ Attention: Some keyboards (for example Fleksy) may collect typing data to improve predictions. Check the privacy policy in the settings. applications.

    4. Underlining through the clipboard and universal editors

    If you need to underline text to paste into a messenger or other application that does not have formatting tools, use intermediate editors:

    Method 1: Google Docs or Microsoft Word

    1. Open Google Docs (or Word to Android).
    2. Type text and select it.
    3. Click on the icon A with underline in the panel tools.
    4. Copy the text and paste into the target application.

    Method 2: Notes applications

    • ๐Ÿ“ Google Keep: supports basic formatting (select text โ†’ More โ†’ Underlined).
    • ๐Ÿ“’ Evernote: advanced formatting tools in the paid version.
    • ๐Ÿ“Œ ColorNote: allows you to save templates with underlined text.

    Important: When copying from editors to instant messengers, formatting may be lost. Test the result before sending!

    To preserve formatting when pasting:

    • U Telegram use mode HTML or Markdown (click on the three dots in the input field โ†’ Disable formattingif the text is displayed incorrect).
    • In WhatsApp paste the text as โ€œplain textโ€ (hold your finger in the input field โ†’ Paste without formatting).
    ๐Ÿ’ก

    If the underline is cleared when pasting, try sending the text as .txt file pre-formatted to Google Docs. The recipient will be able to open it with the saved style.

    5. Underlining in code and markup (HTML, Markdown)

    For developers or users working with markup, underlining is added through tags:

    • ๐ŸŒ HTML: text or text.
    • โœ๏ธ Markdown: In some dialects (e.g. GitHub Flavored Markdown), underlining is not supported by the standard specification. Use text in HTML blocks.
    • ๐Ÿ“„ LaTeX: \underline{text}.

    Example for HTML:

    This is underlined text in paragraph.

    How to check the markup on Android:

    1. Install an application to view HTML, for example HTML Viewer or Markor (for Markdown).
    2. Enter the code with underline tags.
    3. Use the built-in preview.
    โš ๏ธ Attention: WhatsApp HTML tags do not work - use only supported markup (see section 2). Telegram HTML tags don't work - use only supported markup (see section 2).

    6. Underlining in documents (Word, Excel, PDF)

    For working with office documents on Android mobile versions are suitable Microsoft Office or Google Workspace:

    Microsoft Word/Excel:

    • ๐Ÿ“– Select the text in the document.
    • ๐ŸŽจ Click on the A underline icon in the toolbar (or go to the tab Home).
    • ๐Ÿ”„ For Excel: select the cell โ†’ Format โ†’ Cell โ†’ Font โ†’ enable Underline.

    Google Docs/Sheets:

    • ๐Ÿ“‘ Select the text.
    • ๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Click on the icon Underlined (or use hotkeys: highlight the text + Ctrl + U on the connected physical keyboard).

    For PDFdocuments:

    • ๐Ÿ“„ Use Adobe Acrobat Reader or Xodo PDF.
    • ๐Ÿ–‹๏ธ Tool Comment โ†’ Add text โ†’ format the text before insertion.
    Application Supports underlining? Hot keys
    Microsoft Word Yes Ctrl + U (with keyboard)
    Google Docs Yes Ctrl + U
    WPS Office Yes Select + U on-screen keyboard
    Adobe Acrobat Reader Only in comments โ€”
    ๐Ÿ’ก

    For documents, use official mobile applications (Word, Google Docs) - they preserve formatting when exporting and printing.

    7. Automation of underlining using Tasker or MacroDroid

    For advanced users who need often underline text, automation applications are suitable:

    Method 1: Tasker

    1. Install Tasker and plugin AutoInput.
    2. Create a task:
      3. 1. Action: AutoInput โ†’ Text. โ†’ Set Text (enter _%clip_ to wrap text from the buffer).

      2. Action: Clipboard โ†’ Set Clipboard (save the changed text).
      

      3. Action: AutoInput โ†’ UI Interaction โ†’ Paste (paste text).

    3. Assign a gesture or voice command to a task.

    Method 2: MacroDroid (easier for beginners):

    • ๐Ÿค– Create a macro with a trigger Copy text.
    • ๐Ÿ“‹ Add an action Change text: wrap the copied text in _text_.
    • ๐Ÿ”„ Add an action Paste text.
    โš ๏ธ Attention: Automation may conflict with some instant messengers (for example, Viber blocks pasting from the clipboard via Tasker). Test the setting before use.
    Example of a macro for MacroDroid

    1. Trigger: "Text copied" (Clipboard Changed).

    2. Restriction: "Application โ†’ Messenger" (for example, WhatsApp).

    3. Actions:

    - "Text" โ†’ Replace text" (search for: ^(.*)$, replace with: _$1_).

    - "Clipboard โ†’ Set clipboard text" (use changed text).

    - "UI Interaction โ†’ Paste text" (in the active field).

    8. Solving problems: why does underlining not work?

    If underlining does not apply, check the following points:

    • ๐Ÿ” Application updates: Outdated versions of keyboards or instant messengers may not support formatting. Update them via Google Play.
    • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Regional settings: On some keyboards (such as Samsung Keyboard), formatting options depend on the input language. Switch to English (US).
    • ๐Ÿ”ง Application conflict: Antiviruses or optimizers (for example, Clean Master) can block keyboard functions. Add the keyboard to exceptions.
    • ๐Ÿ“ถ Messenger limitations: In Viber i Skype underscore is available only in desktop versions.

    If the problem persists:

    1. Reinstall the keyboard.
    2. Clear the application cache in Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ [Keyboard] โ†’ Memory โ†’ Clear cache.
    3. Check accessibility settings: some functions (for example, Enlarge text) may interfere with formatting.

    For diagnostics:

    • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Set Text Formatter from Google Play โ€”the application will show which formatting characters are supported in your messenger.
    • ๐Ÿ“Š Use Developer Options (if enabled): in Settings โ†’ System โ†’ For Developers Enable Show clicksto track whether the underscore command is logged.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is it possible to underline text in SMS messages on Android?

    No, the standard application Messages on Android does not support text formatting (including underlining). Use instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) or send text as image/PDF.

    Why is underscore displayed as normal text in WhatsApp?

    Probable reasons:

    1. You used single underscores (_text_ instead of _text_ โ€”pay attention to the spaces).
    2. The recipient has an outdated version WhatsApp (update both devices).
    3. You pasted text from another source - formatting may have been lost. Type the markup manually.
    How to emphasize text on Instagram or Facebook?

    Social networks do not support text formatting in posts and comments. Workarounds:

    • Use Unicode characters (for example, "ฬฒ" - combined underscore: "tฬฒteฬฒkฬฒsฬฒtฬฒ").
    • Create an image with underlined text in Canva or Photoshop Express.
    • For Facebook in the browser you can use extensions (for example, Bold for Facebook), but this does not work on the mobile version.
    Is there a way to underline text with your voice (via Google Assistant)?

    There is no direct command for underlining, but you can automate the process:

    1. Say: "Okay Google, open Google Docs".
    2. Dictate the text.
    3. Say: "Select the last paragraph" โ†’ "Underline the selection."

    This method is not suitable for messengers - voice input does not support markup.

    How to remove underlining if it is applied automatically (for example, for links)?

    Automatic underlining of links is disabled as follows:

    • B Google Docs: highlight the link โ†’ Remove link (icon chains).
    • In Telegram: wrap the link in <noformat> or use the symbol \ before the link.
    • In browser: use CSS style text-decoration: none; (for web developers).