Strikethrough text in Telegram is not just a stylistic device, but a full-fledged tool for highlighting corrections, jokes or hidden information. Unlike other messengers, where formatting is limited to bold and italics, Telegram offers advanced layout options, including strikethrough, monospace fonts and even spoilers. But how to activate this feature on a smartphone with Androidif the application interface does not contain obvious buttons for this?

The problem is complicated by the fact that many users mistakenly look for the "strikethrough" option in the chat settings menu or try to use text hold - as in Word or Google Docs. In fact, the solution lies in the syntax Markdown and HTML tagsthat Telegram supports out of the box. In this article we will analyze all the current methods - from manually entering characters to automatic formatting via the clipboard, and also reveal the nuances of how the function works on different versions Android (from 10 to 14) and in alternative clients like Telegram X.

Why there is no button in Telegram "Strikethrough text"?

The absence of a separate button for strikethrough in the interface Telegram on Android is a conscious decision of the developers. The messenger is initially focused on universal markupwhich works the same on all platforms (including iOS, Windows and the web version). Adding separate buttons for each style would lead to toolbar overload, especially on small smartphone screens.

Instead, Telegram uses two formatting standards:

  • 🔹 Markdown - simplified markup language with symbols ~, *, _ etc. (for example, ~~strikethrough~~).
  • 🔹 HTML tags - constructions familiar to web developers like strikethrough.

This approach allows you to:

  • 📱 Maintain uniform display on all devices.
  • ⚡ Quickly format text without unnecessary clicks.
  • 🔄 Easily copy markup between chats and platforms.
⚠️ Attention: In some versions Telegram for Android (especially beta builds), support may be temporarily lost HTML tags due to experiments with the parser. In this case, use only Markdown or update the application.

Method 1: Strikethrough through Markdown (symbols ~~)

This is the most reliable and universal method that works in all versions of Telegram on Android. data-i="71">Open the chat and start typing a message.

  1. Open the chat and start typing a message.
  2. Before the text you want to cross out, enter two tilde characters (~~).
  3. Write the text itself.
  4. After the text, enter again ~~.

Example:

~~this text will be crossed out~~

After sending, the message will be displayed like this:

this text will be crossed out

Double checked opening ~~

The text is written without spaces immediately after ~~

Closing ~~ are placed immediately after the last character

Preview (click on the input field) shows a strikethrough-->

Important nuance: if you use Gboard (keyboard from Google), the tilde character can be entered by long pressing the button ~ in the top row of the numeric keypad. In Samsung Keyboard tilde is available through the character menu (button ?123 → =\<).

⚠️ Attention: If after entering ~~ the text is not struck through in the preview, check whether there are spaces before the characters. Construction ~~text~~ (with a space before the first tilde) will not work!

Method 2: HTML tags and

For users familiar with web markup, Telegram supports two HTML tags for strikethrough:

  • 🔖 text —standard tag for strikethrough text.
  • 🔖 text — semantically denotes “deleted” text (displayed in the same way as <s>).

Example of use:

this old version, and this is the new

Result:

this is the old version, and this is the new

Tag Code example Result Support in Telegram
<s> hello hello ✅ Yes
<del> bye yet ✅ Yes
<strike> outdated outdated ❌ No (does not work)

HTML tags are useful if you are copying text from web pages or documents that already have markup. However, this method has disadvantages:

  • 📵 On small screens, entering angle brackets (< and >) takes longer.
  • 🔍 Telegram can automatically escape characters if they are entered incorrectly (for example, &lt;s> instead of <s>).
💡

If the keyboard does not offer symbols < i > in quick access, add them to "Favorite Symbols" (in Gboard: long press on the comma → "Symbols" → asterisk in the upper corner).

Method 3: Formatting via the clipboard

If you need to cross out a large piece of text or you often use this function, it is more convenient to prepare a template in advance and paste it via the clipboard Instructions:

  1. Create it in notepad. (for example, in Google Keep or ColorNote) template:
~~|~~

(where | is the place for your text).

  1. Copy the template to the clipboard.
  2. In Telegram, insert the template, replace | with the desired text and send the message.

To automate the process, you can use clipboard manager applications, for example:

  • 📋 Clipboard Manager (allows you to save frequently used snippets).
  • ⚡ MacroDroid (creates macros for quickly inserting text from markdown).

Markdown (~~text~~)|HTML (text)|Clipboard with template|Another option-->

The advantage of this method is speed. For example, if you are a chat moderator and often mark deleted messages, template ~~[removed by moderator]~~ will save you money. minutes per day.

Method 4: Voice input with post-editing

Few people know, but strikethrough text can be added even when using voice input in Telegram. Algorithm:

  1. Click on the microphone icon in the input field and dictate the text.
  2. After the text appears in the chat, click on it and select "Edit".
  3. Add characters ~~ to the beginning and end of the fragment that needs to be crossed out.

This method is useful if:

  • 🎤 You dictate long messages and do not want to waste time manually entering markup.
  • 📱 Your hands are full (for example, you driving or preparing food).
⚠️ Attention: When entering voice input, Telegram can automatically correct the “tilde” to a hyphen (-). If this happens, manually replace the hyphens with ~~ before sending.

You can use Voice commands to speed up the process (if your Android supports them). For example, in Google Assistant you can say: “Write in Telegram tilde tilde, we’ll meet at 18 tilde tilde.” True, character recognition does not work perfectly - check the result before sending.

Method 5: Bots for formatting text

If you need to cross out text regularly and in large volumes (for example, to design a channel or chat), it is easier to delegate the task to bots. Here are the top 3 bots for formatting in Telegram:

Bot Command for strikethrough Additional functions
@MarkdownBot /strike your text Support for all Markdown tags, preview
@FormatTextBot /s your text or /del your text HTML and Markdown, templates for chats
@SimpleFormatBot ~~your text~~ (paste into the chat with the bot) Minimalistic interface, without unnecessary water

How to work with bots:

  1. Find a bot by nickname (for example, @MarkdownBot) and launch it.
  2. Send a command with text (for example, /strike is an error).
  3. Copy the result and paste into the desired chat.

Advantages of using bots:

  • ✅ No need to remember the syntax - the bot will do everything for you.
  • ✅ You can format text on your computer and then paste it into mobile Telegram.
  • ✅ Some bots (for example, FormatTextBot) support batch processing —you can cross out several phrases in one request.
How to check if Telegram is blocking your bot?

If the bot does not respond to commands, check:

1. Is it deleted from Telegram (look for the official account in @BotFather).

2. region (some bots are limited geographically).

3. Are you sending too long messages (limit - 4096 characters).

If the problem persists, try an alternative bot from the table above.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced Telegram users sometimes encounter problems when striking out text. Here are the most common errors and their solutions:

  • 🚫 Spaces before characters: The construction ~~text~~ (with a space before the first tilde) will not work. Solution: Remove spaces before ~~.
  • 🚫 Unpaired characters: If you forget the closing tilde (~~text without closing), the text will not be struck out. Solution: Check the number of characters ~~ (must be even).
  • 🚫 Conflict with other tags: If there is bold or _italics_within the strikethrough text, close the tags in the correct order. Example of an error: ~~*text_~~. Solution: ~~text~~.
  • 🚫 Auto-replace characters: Some keyboards (for example, SwiftKey) automatically replace ~~ with hyphens. Solution: Disable autocorrect for symbols in the keyboard settings.

If the text still does not strikethrough, try:

  1. Switch from Markdown to HTML (or vice versa).
  2. Send a message to saved messages (to check if this is related to the chat settings).
  3. Update Telegram to the latest version (older versions could have bugs with parsing markup).
💡

If strikethrough does not work in a group chat, check your bot or administrator rights - some formatting settings may be limited by the chat creator.

Additional tricks: combining strikethrough with other styles

Strikethrough text can be combined with other types of formatting to create expressive messages. Here are some examples:

  • 🔥 Bold + strikethrough: ~~text~~ → text. Suitable for highlighting important corrections.
  • 🌈 Color + strikethrough: Use HTML tags text (does not work in all clients).
  • 🔍 Strikethrough spoiler: ||~~secret~~|| → ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (hover to see).
  • 📌 Strikethrough monospaced: ~~`text`~~ → text. Useful for code or logs.

Example of complex formatting:

~~Attention! _Promotion cancelled_ ~~`from 15.05`~~

Result:

Attention! Promotion cancelled from 05.15

Important: The combination of strikethrough with HTML color tags (<span>) may not work in Telegram mobile clients, but will be displayed correctly in the desktop and web versions.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to cross out text in older versions of Telegram (before 2020)?

Yes, but with reservations. In Telegram versions older than 5.0 (released in 2018), only Markdown (characters ~~) were supported. HTML tags (<s>) were added later. If you have a very old version, update the application or use it exclusively. chats disable formatting for regular participants (check with the administrator). ~~text~~.

Why does strikethrough work in private messages but not in group chat?

This may be due to:

  1. Permission restrictions: Some group chats disable formatting for regular participants (check with your admin).
  2. Bot settings: if a message is sent through a bot, it can “eat” the markup. Try sending the text directly.
  3. Client bug: restart Telegram or clear the application cache (Settings → Applications → Telegram → Memory → Clear cache).
How to cross out text in Telegram X?

In the alternative client Telegram X the strikethrough syntax is identical to the main application: use ~~text~~ or textHowever, in Telegram X there is one trick - preview the markup works more stable, and the characters ~~ are highlighted in blue when entered correctly.

Is it possible to strike out part of a word?

Yes, but only if it makes sense from a markup perspective. For example:

  • ✅ Works: not~~correct~~ text → notcorrect text.
  • ❌ Does not work: sl~~ovo (unpaired characters).

Telegram requires that opening and closing characters ~~ be paired and cover a meaningful fragment.

How to cancel strikethrough after sending a message?

If the message has already been sent, you can:

  1. Click on the message → "Edit" → remove characters ~~ or <s>.
  2. Delete the message and send again (if editing is disabled in chat).

Please note: in some group chats, editing messages may be prohibited by the administrator settings.