WhatsApp this week rolled-out a new update to its iOS and Android apps.
The new update brings some minor bug fixes – as well as some nifty new formatting options. WhatsApp users can now use bold, italics and strikethrough in their text messages. And it might just change the way you talk to your friends.

It's not immediately obvious how to access the new options since the app does not include them in the small selection menu you can access by pressing and holding on a word in iOS.

•Bold: Add an asterisk (*) before and after the specific words or phrases you want to embolden e.g. *Hello*

•Italics: Add an underscore (_) before and after your chosen words or phrases e.g. _Hello_

•Strikethrough: Add a tilde (~) before and after the words or phrases you want to strike a line through e.g. ~Hello~

As long as you have the latest version of WhatsApp running on your smartphone, the chosen word or phrase will embolden, italicise or strikethrough after it has sent. These codes can also be used online via the WhatsApp Web Client, but the formatting will only appear in the app-based version of the chats.