Does Telegram use single or double asterisks for bold?

Typed in the app, bold is double asterisks **x** and italic is double underscores __x__. The Bot API MarkdownV2 uses single delimiters and requires escaping.

How do I make a spoiler in Telegram?

Wrap the text in double pipes, like ||hidden||, and it shows as a click-to-reveal spoiler.

Can I underline text in Telegram?

Underline is available through the formatting menu and the Bot API, but not as a simple typed marker in every client.

Telegram Text Formatting

Paste any text to format it for Telegram, or use the full cheat sheet below.

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Telegram formatting cheat sheet

Feature	Syntax
Bold	x
Italic	__x__
Strikethrough	~~x~~
Spoiler	\|\|x\|\|
Inline code	`x`
Code block	```x```
Quote	> x

What Telegram cannot do

No headings.
No native bulleted or numbered lists.
Underline when typing in the app is limited; the Bot API MarkdownV2 dialect differs and needs escaping.

Frequently asked

Does Telegram use single or double asterisks for bold?: Typed in the app, bold is double asterisks **x** and italic is double underscores __x__. The Bot API MarkdownV2 uses single delimiters and requires escaping.
How do I make a spoiler in Telegram?: Wrap the text in double pipes, like ||hidden||, and it shows as a click-to-reveal spoiler.
Can I underline text in Telegram?: Underline is available through the formatting menu and the Bot API, but not as a simple typed marker in every client.