How to Strikethrough in Google Docs (All Devices)

Strikethrough puts a thin horizontal line through selected text so it reads as crossed out without being deleted. In Google Docs you can apply it in three ways: from the Format menu, with a keyboard shortcut, or by tapping an icon in the mobile app. This guide shows each method, how to remove strikethrough again, and the small details that trip people up — written for everyday users, students, and teams across New Zealand who want a clear answer, not a sales pitch.

What strikethrough does in Google Docs

Strikethrough is a text style, not a deletion. It draws a single line horizontally through the characters you select while leaving the words fully in place, so the original text stays editable, selectable, and searchable underneath the line. That makes it ideal for showing a change rather than hiding it — marking a task as done, flagging an old price that has been superseded, or signalling a clause that a reviewer wants removed while everyone can still read what was there.

Because it is a formatting style, strikethrough behaves like bold or italics: it toggles on and off. Applying it to plain text switches it on; applying the same command again to struck text switches it off. Nothing is added to or removed from the underlying document content.

Does strikethrough delete the text?

No. Strikethrough is purely visual. The characters remain in the file, count toward word count, appear in Find and replace, and are read aloud by most text-to-speech tools. If you want text permanently gone, delete it or use Suggesting mode so the removal can be reviewed and accepted; use strikethrough only when you want the crossed-out words to stay visible.

How to strikethrough on a computer (Format menu)

On a laptop or desktop, the menu method works in any browser and needs only a free Google Account. Select the text first, then walk through the Format menu:

1. Highlight the word, sentence, or block you want to cross out.
2. Click Format in the menu bar at the top of the document.
3. Hover over Text to open its submenu.
4. Click Strikethrough. The line appears across your selection immediately.

To remove the line, select the same text and repeat those steps — Format > Text > Strikethrough toggles the style back off. The menu route is the most discoverable option and is handy when you are already clicking through formatting, but for anything repetitive the keyboard shortcut is far quicker.

The Google Docs strikethrough shortcut

The keyboard shortcut applies strikethrough without touching the menus, which saves real time if you edit long documents. Select your text, then press the combination for your operating system:

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

The most common reason the Windows shortcut “does not work” is the number key: you must use the 5 on the top row of the keyboard, not the 5 on the numeric keypad. As with the menu, the shortcut is a toggle — press it again on the same selection to remove the line. You can combine it with multi-selection (holding Ctrl or ⌘ while highlighting separate phrases) to strike several passages at once.

Menu method versus the shortcut

Both produce identical strikethrough; the difference is only speed and habit.

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

The Google Docs apps for Android and iOS both support strikethrough, so you can cross out text on a phone or tablet away from a desk. The steps are almost identical on either platform:

1. Open the document and tap the pencil (Edit) icon to enter editing mode.
2. Select your text — tap and hold on Android, or double-tap on iPhone, then drag the handles to cover the range you want.
3. Tap the Format icon in the toolbar (an uppercase A, shown with lines beside it).
4. Open the Text tab in the panel that slides up from the bottom.
5. Tap the S̶ (strikethrough) icon, near the Bold and Italic buttons. The line appears on your selection.

To undo it, repeat the steps and tap the same S̶ icon again. If you frequently move between phone and computer, remember the formatting travels with the document — text you strike on mobile shows the same line when you reopen the file in a browser.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Most strikethrough problems come from a handful of predictable causes. Checking these first usually solves the issue in seconds:

• Using the numeric keypad 5 on Windows. The Alt + Shift + 5 shortcut only responds to the 5 on the top number row; the keypad 5 will not trigger it.
• Expecting the Mac shortcut to be a number. On Mac it is ⌘ Command + Shift + X, not a 5 — mixing the two up is a frequent slip.
• Treating strikethrough as delete. The words remain in the file and in searches. If content must be truly removed for a shared or legal document, delete it or use Suggesting mode instead.
• No text selected. The command needs a highlighted selection; with nothing selected it sets the style for whatever you type next, which can look like it “did nothing”.
• Relying on it for accessibility. Many screen readers ignore the line and read the words as normal, so a struck-out item can be missed by assistive-tech users (see the next section).

Strikethrough versus Suggesting mode and comments

Strikethrough is one of several ways to signal a change, and picking the right one keeps collaborative documents clear. Use strikethrough when the crossed-out text should stay visible to everyone as a permanent visual cue — for example a completed checklist item. Use Suggesting mode (the pencil menu at the top right, switched to “Suggesting”) when a deletion or edit should be reviewed and formally accepted or rejected by another person; it records who proposed the change and lets an owner approve it. Use comments (Insert > Comment) when you want to explain or question text without altering it at all. These tools stack well together, and they matter more as more people share the same file.

Accessibility: keep crossed-out text readable

Strikethrough is a visual signal that assistive technology often cannot convey. By default, many screen readers skip over the styling and read a struck-out sentence exactly like any other, so a low-vision reader may never learn that the text was cancelled or completed. To keep documents inclusive, add a short plain-language tag next to the modified text — such as (Completed), (Cancelled), or (Removed) — so the meaning survives without relying on the line itself. Pairing strikethrough with real headings, descriptive alt text on images, and clear table headers keeps the whole document navigable for everyone.

Limitations: colour, double lines, and pasted text

Google Docs keeps strikethrough deliberately simple, and knowing the boundaries saves time. The built-in tool applies a single, thin, text-coloured line only — there is no native option for a double strikethrough or for a line in a different colour from the text. If you change the font colour of struck text, the line changes colour with it, because the line is drawn in the same colour as the characters. For a coloured line effect, the usual workaround is to set the whole selection (text and all) to the colour you want; there is no separate control for the line alone.

Pasted text is another common surprise. When you copy text that was struck through in another document, web page, or email, Google Docs normally carries the strikethrough across as formatting. If you want the plain words without the line, paste with Ctrl + Shift + V (or ⌘ + Shift + V on Mac) to “paste without formatting”, or select the pasted text and toggle strikethrough off. Conversely, Markdown-style shorthand — wrapping text in tildes like ~~this~~ — does not create strikethrough in Google Docs the way it does in some chat apps, so use the menu, shortcut, or app icon instead.

Strikethrough in Google Sheets and Slides

The same idea exists across the Google editors, but the shortcuts differ. In Google Sheets, select the cells and press Alt + Shift + 5 (Windows/ChromeOS) or ⌘ + Shift + X (Mac), the same combinations as Docs, or use Format > Text (the strikethrough control sits with the other text styles). Google Slides also supports strikethrough on selected text through Format > Text > Strikethrough. In every case the effect is the same non-destructive visual line, and it toggles off the same way.

Privacy and your documents in New Zealand

Google Docs stores your files on Google’s servers rather than your own hard drive, so the way you share them matters under New Zealand law. The Privacy Act 2020 sets out how organisations must collect, secure, and handle personal information, and those duties apply whenever your documents contain other people’s details — client records, staff data, or student work. Google encrypts documents in transit and at rest, but the biggest practical risk is over-broad sharing.

For anything sensitive, avoid “Anyone with the link” access and instead share with specific email addresses, set the correct view or edit permission, and turn on two-step verification (multi-factor authentication) for your account. For confidential files you can also restrict downloading, printing, and copying in the advanced sharing options. Digital records handled this way are legally valid for New Zealand business under Part 4 of the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017, which consolidated the former Electronic Transactions Act 2002 and gives electronic documents the same standing as paper.

Where Google Docs fits with other free office tools

Google Docs is one of several free ways to write and format documents, and knowing the neighbours helps you pick the right tool. It runs entirely in a browser with automatic saving and real-time collaboration, whereas desktop suites keep files on your own machine. If you prefer an installed, offline word processor, the free open-source options are worth a look — see our roundup of OpenOffice alternatives or the classic OpenOffice Writer. Many of the same techniques carry across the ecosystem of free, open tools that Kiwi teams pair with their documents, from the Mozilla Thunderbird email client (Wikipedia) to full office suites, and formatting habits move with you if you also use Microsoft Word on Mac.

Once your text is formatted, the everyday follow-up tasks are well covered too: you can export a Google Doc to PDF for sharing, and if your work spans spreadsheets, our guide to Google Sheets formulas explains how the same account extends into calculations. Working offline is also possible: turn on offline access in your account settings while connected, and Docs caches your files so you can keep editing — strikethrough included — and syncs the changes automatically once you are back online.

FAQ

What is the keyboard shortcut for strikethrough in Google Docs?

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

How do I remove strikethrough in Google Docs?

Strikethrough is a toggle, so you remove it the same way you applied it. Select the crossed-out text, then either choose Format > Text > Strikethrough again or press the keyboard shortcut for your device a second time, and the line disappears.

Can I use strikethrough in the Google Docs mobile app?

Yes. In the Android or iPhone app, tap the pencil to edit, select your text, tap the Format (A) icon, open the Text tab, and tap the S̶ strikethrough icon. Tap it again to switch the line off.

Does strikethrough delete or hide the text?

No. Strikethrough only adds a visual line; the words stay in the document and remain editable, selectable, and searchable. To remove text for good, delete it or use Suggesting mode so the change can be reviewed.

Why is my strikethrough shortcut not working on Windows?

The usual cause is pressing the 5 on the numeric keypad, which does not trigger the command. Use the 5 on the top row of numbers with Alt + Shift held down, and make sure you have selected text first.