How bold text works without formatting
Instagram, LinkedIn, X and TikTok don't let you format text. This tool gets around that by swapping each letter for a bold-looking character from Unicode, the standard every phone and computer uses for text. Unicode has a whole block of bold, italic and script letters, added in 2001 for maths.
Because the bold is part of the character and not a setting, it stays bold wherever you paste it: a bio, a caption, a comment, a display name or a message.
Where bold text works well
A little bold goes a long way. Good places to use it:
- The first line of a LinkedIn post, so it stands out before “…see more”.
- Section labels in a long caption, like “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫”.
- Your name or one key word in an Instagram or TikTok bio.
- A price, a date or a call to action people shouldn't miss.
The catches
Screen readers often read bold letters one by one, or as “mathematical bold capital A”, so a whole bold sentence can be hard to follow for someone using one. Search engines and in-app search usually don't match bold letters to plain words either, so keep the words people search for, like your name and what you do, in plain text.
Bold letters can also count as two characters toward a limit. X counts most of them as two, so a bold post fills up faster. Only English letters and numbers have bold versions: accented letters (é, ñ), emoji and other alphabets stay as they are.
Apps that have real bold
Some apps have their own formatting, which is better when it's there because it stays readable for everyone. In WhatsApp, put stars around a word (*bold*). In Discord, Slack and Reddit use two stars (**bold**). Email, Google Docs and most websites have a bold button. Use this tool for the places that don't.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write in bold on Instagram?
Instagram has no bold option. Type your text here, copy the bold version and paste it into your bio, name, caption or comment. It stays bold because the letters themselves are bold characters.
How do I bold text in a LinkedIn post?
LinkedIn posts have no bold button. Make the text bold here, copy it and paste it into your post. Use it for a headline or a few key words, since a whole bold post is hard to read.
Why do some letters not turn bold?
Unicode only has bold versions of the 26 English letters and the digits 0 to 9. Accented letters, emoji, punctuation and other alphabets stay as typed.
Is bold text bad for accessibility?
It can be. Screen readers may spell out bold letters or call them mathematical symbols. Use bold for a word or a short line, and keep the main message in plain text.
Will bold text show on every phone?
Serif and sans bold show on almost every phone and computer made in the last ten years. Rarer styles, like bold gothic, can show as boxes on very old devices.