Have you ever wanted to emphasize certain words or phrases that you send out to your friends in Facebook Messenger? Well, you’re in luck! If you’re using a web browser on a PC, Messenger supports text formatting.
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. Each type of emphasis has a symbol that you need to type before and after the text that you want to emphasize.
However, the effects only show up in 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…
Adding Bold Text
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
To italicize text, type an underscore (_) before and after the text. Like bold font, italics are often used to draw attention to a certain detail. More commonly, they are used to highlight names, foreign words, or when quoting dialogue.
Strikethrough Text
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Strikethrough text is typically used to indicate text that is no longer valid or text that should be removed from a draft.
Monospace Text
To make monospace text, type a backtick (`) before and after the text. This is different to 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. If you’re one of those people, consider checking out this website that has over 50+ monospace fonts that you can preview and compare.
How to Send Blocks of Code in Messenger
Sending blocks of code in Messenger requires a little bit more work than the types of emphasis we’ve talked about so far.
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 typographical emphasis in Messenger all the time, it’s handy knowledge to have for when you do need it.
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