WhatsApp will now let you number your lists and add bullet points

WhatsApp communication has significantly improved over the years. What was once just a text exchange platform now allows you to perform plenty of other functions, including sharing videos, audio, and even your smartphone screen.

A small step the platform took among these was the ability to send bold and italicised texts that help us communicate more effectively today. However, the Meta-owned platform continues to add to this and has included four new formatting options to simplify texting for users.

What are the new text formatting options on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp announced the new text formatting options a while ago and was reportedly beta testing it for its iOS and Android users. However, it has now been made available for all users and can be implemented in both text messages and WhatsApp Channels. 

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Alongside the usual bold, italics, strikethrough, and monospace, WhatsApp has now introduced bulleted and numbered lists along with block and inline quotes. The new formatting options were rolled out to ensure streamlined texting and better organising of messages. According to WAbetainfo, the tools were added to “make its messaging app even better for users.

How to use the new formatting features on WhatsApp

Want to try the new styles out? Here’s how to use them on your WhatsApp chats or Channels: 

Numbered lists: Great for when you want to have neat, organised grocery lists, numbered lists can be used by adding a full stop next to a number. Once you hit the enter key, the numbered list will follow until you backspace. 

Bulleted lists: Bulleted lists are useful in multiple situations, but most of all, they ensure your texts stay neat. To begin using, add a “-” symbol before your sentence with a space. Like the numbered lists, once you hit enter, you will be able to use these for listing multiple options within the message. 

Block quotes: WhatsApp introduced block quotes to highlight a standout sentence within a message. To use this, press the”>” key with a space and add it before the text you wish to format. 

Inline code: This formatting feature was added to make sharing and reading code easier for programmers. However, apart from that, users can also utilise it to highlight specific information in text. All you need to do is use the “`” symbol in your message `like this`. 

Before trying them out, ensure your WhatsApp smartphone or desktop app is updated to the latest version. In case you still don’t have it, don’t worry; the platform is gradually rolling out to everyone and is likely to reach you in no time.