How to Strikethrough in Google Docs: Every Method

Strikethrough in Google Docs draws a horizontal line through selected text to show that something has been changed, completed or cancelled — without actually deleting it. It is one of the quickest formatting habits to pick up, it behaves the same whether you are editing in Auckland, Wellington or a rural office with patchy broadband, and it costs nothing with an ordinary Google Account. This guide covers every way to cross out text in Google Docs: the menu, the keyboard shortcuts for Windows, ChromeOS and Mac, the Android and iPhone apps, and the Markdown option — plus how to remove it, how it behaves for screen readers, and how it compares with other writing tools used across New Zealand.

What strikethrough is, and when to use it

Strikethrough is a text style that puts a single line through the middle of the characters you select, leaving the words readable underneath. It is purely visual: the text stays in the document, stays selectable, and stays searchable — nothing is erased. That is exactly what makes it useful when you want to signal an edit while keeping a record of what was there before.

Typical jobs it does well include:

• Tracking to-do items. Cross off tasks on a checklist or project brief as they are finished, while everyone can still see the full list.
• Marking revisions. Show a clause, sentence or price that is being removed from a draft contract or quote, so reviewers can see what changed.
• Flagging out-of-date figures. Keep an old number visible next to the new one for comparison instead of wiping it out.
• Light collaborative editing. Suggest a deletion without committing to it, so co-authors can agree before the text is actually cut.

Because the original words remain in the file, strikethrough is not a substitute for deleting text or for Google Docs’ built-in Suggesting mode — it is a formatting mark, not a change-tracking system.

Everyday examples for New Zealand teams

Strikethrough earns its keep in the kind of shared documents Kiwi workplaces run on. A site supervisor can cross off completed items on a health-and-safety checklist while the full list stays visible for the next inspection. An office manager updating a price list can strike the old figure and type the new one beside it, so clients can see exactly what changed. A student editing a group assignment can mark a paragraph the team has agreed to cut before anyone commits to deleting it. In each case the value is the same: the change is obvious at a glance, and the history is preserved until the final version is locked in.

How to cross out text in Google Docs on a computer

The menu method is the most reliable way to strikethrough on a desktop or laptop, and it works in any browser on Windows, macOS or ChromeOS with a free Google Account. You do not need a paid Google Workspace plan. Here is the full path:

• Select the text. Click and drag to highlight the words, sentence or paragraph you want to cross out.
• Open the Format menu. Click Format in the toolbar along the top of the document.
• Hover over Text. Move to the Text sub-menu to expand the styling options.
• Click Strikethrough. The line appears across your selection straight away.
• To undo it, repeat the steps. Strikethrough is a toggle, so selecting the same text and choosing Strikethrough again removes the line.

Unlike bold, italic and underline, strikethrough does not have its own button on the default Google Docs toolbar, which is why many people never find it. The Format menu and the keyboard shortcut below are the two dependable routes. Once you are comfortable here, the same logic applies when you build a Google Docs invoice template or tidy a report before you turn the finished document into a PDF.

The Google Docs strikethrough keyboard shortcut

The keyboard shortcut is the fastest way to strikethrough in Google Docs because it works without lifting your hands from the keyboard. Select your text first, then press the combination for your device:

• Windows and ChromeOS: Alt + Shift + 5
• Mac: ⌘ (Command) + Shift + X

One detail trips people up constantly: on Windows and ChromeOS you must use the 5 on the number row across the top of the keyboard, not the 5 on the numeric keypad — the keypad key does nothing here. As with the menu, the shortcut is a toggle, so pressing it again on the same selection removes the strikethrough.

Using Markdown to strikethrough as you type

Google Docs can also apply strikethrough from Markdown, which suits anyone who prefers to format while writing rather than reaching for a menu. The feature is switched off by default, so turn it on first: open Tools > Preferences and tick Automatically detect Markdown. After that, wrap any phrase in double tildes — for example ~~this text~~ — and Docs converts it to strikethrough as you go. It is a small time-saver for fast typists, though Markdown support in Docs is limited to a handful of styles, so the menu and shortcut remain the complete options.

How to strikethrough in the Google Docs mobile app (Android and iPhone)

Strikethrough is built into the Google Docs mobile apps, so you can cross out text on a phone or tablet exactly as you would on a computer — handy for a tradesperson ticking off a site checklist or an agent editing a contract on the road. The steps are the same on Android and iOS:

• Open the document in the Google Docs app and tap the pencil icon to switch into editing mode.
• Select the text by tapping and dragging the selection handles over the words you want to change.
• Tap the format icon — the A with horizontal lines near the top of the screen.
• Choose Text if needed, then tap Strikethrough to toggle the line on.
• Tap it again to remove the formatting.

There is no keyboard shortcut in the mobile apps, but the format panel makes strikethrough just as reachable as bold or italic. The same editing flow is worth knowing if you also build a Google Form on the go, since Workspace apps share the same touch conventions.

How to remove strikethrough in Google Docs

Removing strikethrough uses the exact same controls that applied it, because every method is a toggle. Select the crossed-out text and either choose Format > Text > Strikethrough again, or press the keyboard shortcut for your device a second time, and the line disappears.

If a passage has several styles layered on it and you want a clean slate, use Format > Clear formatting (the shortcut is Ctrl + \ on Windows/ChromeOS, or ⌘ + \ on Mac). Note that this strips all direct formatting — bold, colour, font size and strikethrough together — so reach for it only when you want the text returned to the default style.

Strikethrough versus Suggesting mode

Manual strikethrough and Suggesting mode look similar but do very different jobs, and mixing them up causes confusion in shared documents. Manual strikethrough is permanent formatting that you apply yourself: the line stays until someone removes it, and no one is prompted to approve or reject anything. It is ideal for a settled convention — crossing off finished tasks, or showing a superseded figure next to its replacement.

Suggesting mode is Google Docs’ review system. Switch the mode selector in the top-right of the toolbar from Editing to Suggesting, and any text you delete appears struck through in a reviewer’s colour, with a card in the margin that collaborators can accept or reject. Unlike manual strikethrough, these marks are change requests: accepting one actually deletes the text, and rejecting it restores the original. Use Suggesting mode when edits need sign-off — a contract review, a manager approving copy — and reserve manual strikethrough for formatting that everyone already agrees on.

Strikethrough in other apps, compared

Strikethrough is not unique to Google Docs — most word processors, spreadsheets and even some email clients offer it, though the way you reach it differs. The open-source email client Mozilla Thunderbird supports it too; you can read more about that program on Wikipedia. The table below shows how the most common tools handle it.

The pattern is consistent across Google’s apps: the same tools you use in Google Sheets carry over to Docs, including this shortcut. If you are weighing up free desktop software, our guide to free office suite alternatives covers how LibreOffice and others compare for day-to-day editing.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few recurring errors stop strikethrough working the way people expect. Watching for them saves time:

• Pressing the keypad 5. The Windows/ChromeOS shortcut needs the 5 on the top number row; the numeric keypad version will not trigger it.
• Expecting the text to be deleted. Strikethrough is visual only. If you need to actually remove content — or keep a reviewable record of the deletion — delete it or use Suggesting mode instead.
• Confusing it with Suggesting mode. Suggesting mode shows proposed deletions as struck-through red text that collaborators can accept or reject; manual strikethrough is permanent formatting that no one is asked to approve.
• Hunting for a toolbar button. There isn’t one by default. Use the Format menu or the shortcut.
• Relying on it for meaning alone. Many screen readers skip the style entirely (see below), so a crossed-out line may not reach every reader.

Strikethrough and accessibility

Strikethrough can be invisible to assistive technology, so it should never be the only way you signal that something is cancelled or done. By default, most screen readers read straight through struck-out words without announcing the style, which means a vision-impaired colleague may hear “old price $50” as current. To keep documents inclusive, add a short word in brackets next to the change — for example (cancelled) or (completed) — or record the edit in Suggesting mode, which assistive software does announce. Pairing strikethrough with real heading styles, descriptive alt text and good colour contrast keeps the whole document readable for everyone.

Privacy and legal notes for New Zealand users

Because Google Docs stores your files in the cloud rather than on your own drive, the way you share and secure them matters more than the formatting you apply. Under New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020, any business handling personal information is responsible for keeping it secure, so turn on two-step verification, and restrict sharing links to named people rather than “anyone with the link” when a document contains client, payroll or contract details.

Electronic documents are fully valid for business in New Zealand: the rules that give electronic records and signatures legal effect now sit in Part 4 of the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017, which replaced the earlier Electronic Transactions Act 2002 in September 2017. For times when connectivity drops — a common reality outside the main centres — you can switch on offline access in your Google account settings while connected, and keep editing a cached copy that syncs automatically when you are back online.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the strikethrough shortcut in Google Docs?

On Windows and ChromeOS, select your text and press Alt + Shift + 5, using the 5 on the number row rather than the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Command + Shift + X. Pressing the same keys again removes the line.

How do I strikethrough text in the Google Docs mobile app?

Open the document in the Google Docs app for Android or iPhone, tap the pencil to edit, select the text, tap the format icon (the A with lines), then tap Strikethrough. Tapping it again removes the formatting. There is no keyboard shortcut on mobile.

Does strikethrough delete the text in my document?

No. Strikethrough is a visual style only, so the words stay in the file and remain selectable and searchable beneath the line. To actually remove content, delete it or use Suggesting mode to propose the deletion for review.

Is strikethrough in Google Docs free?

Yes. Strikethrough and all core Google Docs formatting are available free with any Google Account, on the web and in the mobile apps. A paid Google Workspace plan adds storage and admin features but is not needed for formatting.

How do I remove strikethrough formatting?

Select the crossed-out text and apply the same command again — Format > Text > Strikethrough, or the keyboard shortcut for your device. To clear every style at once, use Format > Clear formatting (Ctrl + \ on Windows/ChromeOS, Command + \ on Mac).