How to Underline Text on Android (Every App: WhatsApp, Messages, Gmail, Docs & More)

Android handles text formatting very differently from iPhone. Where iOS has standardized rich text formatting menus across Apple's own apps, Android leaves it up to each app — which means the way you underline text in Gmail is different from the way you underline text in Samsung Notes, which is different again from Google Keep.

This guide covers all the major Android apps, the native underline method for each, and the universal Unicode method that works everywhere — including chat apps that don't support formatting at all.

Two main approaches on Android

Like iPhone, Android has two ways to underline text:

1. Rich text underline — works in apps that have built-in formatting toolbars (Gmail, Google Docs, Samsung Notes, etc.). The underline is genuine HTML-style formatting.
2. Unicode underline — works in any app that accepts text input. The underline is part of the characters themselves, so it travels with the text.

You'll use rich text in productivity apps and Unicode in chat / social apps.

WhatsApp on Android

WhatsApp does not support native underline anywhere — not in chats, status, or About section. It supports bold, italic, and ~~strikethrough~~ via markdown shortcuts, but underline isn't on the menu.

For a complete walkthrough including how Unicode underline works in WhatsApp, see our WhatsApp underline guide.

Quick version:

1. Open Underline Text Generator in Chrome
2. Type your text, pick a style, tap copy
3. Switch to WhatsApp, tap and hold the input field, tap Paste
4. Send

Works in 1:1 chats, group chats, status, About, and group descriptions.

Google Messages (SMS / RCS)

Google's default Messages app on most Androids has limited text formatting. As of late 2025, RCS messages (the Android equivalent of iMessage) support bold, italic, and strikethrough but not native underline.

For SMS messages, no rich formatting is supported by the protocol itself.

To underline in Google Messages:

1. Use Unicode underline — generate, copy, paste into the message field

The underlined text will display correctly on the recipient's device whether they're on Android or iPhone, since Unicode is universal.

Samsung Messages (Galaxy phones)

Samsung's default Messages app behaves similarly to Google Messages — bold, italic, and strikethrough but no underline. Use the Unicode method for underlining.

One Samsung-specific bonus: Samsung Keyboard has a clipboard manager built in. After you've copied an underlined text from our tool once, you can paste it again later without re-generating:

1. Tap the keyboard's toolbar icon (small icons row above the letters)
2. Tap Clipboard
3. Tap your previously-copied underlined text to paste it again

Gmail on Android

Gmail supports rich text formatting, including underline:

1. Tap Compose (the pencil icon)
2. Tap into the message body and type your text
3. Long-press the text you want to underline → drag the selection handles to highlight the words
4. Tap the format icon in the top toolbar (looks like a paintbrush or three dots → Format)
5. Tap the U button (Underline)

In some Gmail versions, you'll also see B, I, and U buttons appear directly above the keyboard when text is selected. Tap U.

The underline is HTML formatting, so it'll look correct in any modern email client on the recipient's end (Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo, etc.).

Outlook on Android

Microsoft Outlook for Android supports rich text formatting too:

1. Tap New email (pencil icon)
2. Type your text and select the portion to underline
3. In the formatting toolbar above the keyboard, tap the Aa icon
4. Tap U (Underline)

If the toolbar isn't showing, tap the three-dot menu in the compose screen → Show formatting.

Google Docs on Android

Google Docs is the most full-featured rich text app on Android:

1. Open a document and tap into the body
2. Type your text and select the portion to underline
3. Tap the A with horizontal lines (formatting toolbar) icon at the top
4. Tap the Text tab
5. Tap U (Underline)

You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+U if you have a hardware keyboard connected.

Google Keep on Android

Surprisingly, Google Keep does not support text formatting on Android. Notes are plain text only.

To underline in Keep: Use Unicode. Generate your underlined text in our tool, copy, paste into the note. The text will display as underlined when you open the note on any device.

Samsung Notes (Galaxy phones)

Samsung Notes has full rich text formatting:

1. Open Samsung Notes and create or open a note
2. Tap into the body and type your text
3. Select the text you want to underline
4. The formatting toolbar appears at the top — tap the U icon

Samsung Notes also supports underline color: tap the dropdown next to U to change the line color.

The formatting persists when you sync notes between devices via Samsung Cloud, but if you export the note as plain text, the underline is lost.

Microsoft Word, OneNote, and Office on Android

All Microsoft Office apps for Android support rich text underlining:

Word for Android:

1. Open a document → tap into the text
2. Long-press to select text
3. Tap the A icon in the toolbar (Home tab)
4. Tap U (Underline)

OneNote for Android:

1. Open or create a note
2. Select text
3. Tap the A formatting icon → tap U

These use standard Microsoft Office formatting, so the underline travels with the file when shared.

Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Telegram (Unicode method)

None of these support native underline on Android. Use Unicode:

1. Open Chrome → go to Underline Text Generator
2. Type your text, pick a style, tap the copy button
3. Switch to the destination app, long-press the input field → Paste
4. Send/post

Specific guides:

• Instagram: see our Instagram guide
• Discord: see our Discord guide — Discord supports markdown underline natively with __double underscores__

💡 Pro tip: Add the Underline Text Generator to your Android home screen via Chrome's menu → "Add to Home screen." It opens like an app, so generating underlined text takes two taps.

Using Gboard's clipboard for fast pasting

Google's Gboard keyboard has a clipboard feature that's perfect for re-using underlined text:

1. After copying underlined text from our generator
2. Tap the keyboard toolbar (small icons at the top of the keyboard)
3. Tap the clipboard icon
4. The recently-copied underlined text will be saved there for up to an hour
5. Tap it to re-paste

You can pin items to the clipboard so they don't expire — useful for keeping a few favorite underlined phrases ready to go.

To enable Gboard clipboard:

1. Open Gboard settings → Clipboard
2. Toggle on Show recently copied text in suggestion strip and Save clips that you use frequently

Using Samsung Keyboard's clipboard

Samsung's built-in keyboard has its own clipboard system that works similarly:

1. Tap the toolbar at the top of the keyboard
2. Tap Clipboard
3. Tap any saved item to paste; tap the pin icon to save it permanently

Underlining text on older Android versions

If you're on Android 8 or older, you may notice that some Unicode underline styles render with gaps between letters and the underline mark, or appear as boxes (□).

This is a font-rendering issue — older Android system fonts (Roboto pre-2017) don't have proper combining-mark positioning data. The fix:

1. Update Android if possible (Android 10+ renders much better)
2. Try a different underline style — the classic single underline is the most universally supported
3. Use a third-party launcher with custom fonts — some launchers let you swap the system font for a more modern one
4. Use bold or italic Unicode instead — these render more reliably on old Androids

For more troubleshooting, see why underlined text looks broken.

Underline text in browsers on Android (Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet)

When you're filling out a form or editing a webpage on Android, the browser itself doesn't add formatting — that depends on the website.

Sites with rich text editors (WordPress, Medium, Notion, Google Docs in browser): tap into the text field, select text, look for the underline button in the site's editor toolbar.

Sites with plain text fields (most form inputs, comments, profiles): use Unicode underline from our generator.

Browser-specific tips:

• Chrome: Long-press the address bar → "Paste and go" if you want to paste a URL with underline (rare use case)
• Firefox: Same as Chrome
• Samsung Internet: Has a secret mode that doesn't save clipboard history, useful for sensitive content

Quick app-by-app underline reference

| App | Native underline? | Method | |---|---|---| | WhatsApp | ❌ | Unicode | | Google Messages (RCS) | ❌ | Unicode | | Samsung Messages | ❌ | Unicode | | Gmail | ✅ | Format toolbar → U | | Outlook | ✅ | Format toolbar → U | | Google Docs | ✅ | Format toolbar → U | | Google Sheets | ✅ | Format menu → Underline | | Google Slides | ✅ | Format toolbar → U | | Google Keep | ❌ | Unicode | | Samsung Notes | ✅ | Format toolbar → U | | Microsoft Word | ✅ | Home tab → U | | OneNote | ✅ | Format menu → U | | Instagram | ❌ | Unicode | | Twitter / X | ❌ | Unicode | | Facebook | ❌ | Unicode | | TikTok | ❌ | Unicode | | Telegram | Partial | HTML mode supports <u>, otherwise Unicode | | Discord | Partial | Markdown __text__, or Unicode for usernames | | Snapchat | ❌ | Unicode | | Reddit (mobile app) | ❌ | Unicode | | LinkedIn | ❌ | Unicode (but consider accessibility) |

Frequently asked questions

Does Android have a system-wide underline shortcut?

No. Unlike Windows or Mac (where Ctrl+U / Cmd+U works in any rich text field), Android doesn't have a system-wide formatting shortcut. Each app implements its own — and many don't support underline at all.

Why does Samsung Keyboard sometimes paste underlined text without the underline?

Samsung Keyboard's autofill and auto-correction features can occasionally strip combining characters from pasted text. To avoid this, paste your underlined text first, before typing anything else, then add the rest of your message after.

Is there an app that adds an underline button to every keyboard?

There are a few third-party keyboard apps that advertise underline support across all apps. Most use Unicode underline behind the scenes — same as our generator, just packaged differently. Be cautious: third-party keyboards have access to everything you type, so only install ones from trusted developers and check privacy reviews.

Can I underline text in Android's notification reply box?

It depends on the app. WhatsApp's notification reply (when you swipe down a notification and reply inline) is plain text, so Unicode underline works. Some chat apps strip Unicode in inline replies due to their own input filtering.

Does Bixby Voice or Google Assistant support underlining?

No. Voice dictation produces plain text. You'd dictate the text first, then format it manually.

Why does my underlined text look correct on my Samsung but broken on my friend's Pixel?

Different OEM system fonts handle combining marks differently. Samsung's One UI font and Google's Roboto on Pixels have slightly different combining-mark metrics. Visual differences are usually minor — the text is still readable on both.

Can I underline text in WhatsApp Business broadcasts?

Yes, using the same Unicode method. Just be cautious about over-formatting in business contexts — too much stylization can read as spammy or unprofessional.

Underline anywhere on your Android phone

For apps with native formatting (Gmail, Docs, Samsung Notes, Office), use the in-app U button. For everything else — WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, etc. — use Underline Text Generator in Chrome.

Add the tool to your home screen for one-tap access, and underlining text on Android becomes a 20-second task.

For more text tools, browse our complete fonts generator — over 100 Unicode font styles including bold, italic, script, and decorative options that work in any Android app.