iOS users with WhatsApp v2.12.17 can now send text in bold, italics, or strikethrough formats. However, Android users won’t be able to see the formatted text as yet, seeing that the feature has initially been rolled out only to iOS.
WhatsApp's latest update for iOS users allow them to send formatted text. This will allow users to send text in bold, italics or strikethrough, and is only available for WhatsApp v2.12.17 on iOS. To sent text in bold, users will have to place the text within asterisks(*), for italics the text needs to be between underscores (_), and for strikethrough it needs to be between tildes (~). In order to have text two or all three formats, users will have to use the respective symbols. For example, in order to send text in bold and italics, the text needs to be between underscore and asterisks (_*text*_).
Android users will not be able to see the formatted text, as of now. However, the feature should be made available to them, soon. Earlier this month, users of WhatsApp Beta for Android had received an update that allowed them to send formatted text. The update also allowed them to send PDF files from Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive accounts. In addition, users could also send Docs, Sheets, and Slides from Google Drive, which were automatically converted to PDF files before being sent.