Bold Shortcut (Ctrl+B / ⌘B)
Bold is ⌘B on Mac and Ctrl+B on Windows. Here it is with italic, underline and the rest of the formatting row.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | ⌘B | Ctrl+B | |
| Italic | ⌘I | Ctrl+I | |
| Underline | ⌘U | Ctrl+U | |
| Strikethrough | ⌘⇧X | Alt+H,4 (Word) / Ctrl+Shift+X | |
| Clear formatting | ⌘\ | Ctrl+Space or Ctrl+\ | |
| Increase font size | ⌘⇧> | Ctrl+Shift+> | |
| Strikethrough (Docs/Sheets) | ⌘⇧X | Alt+Shift+5 |
The formatting row
⌘B (Mac) or Ctrl+B (Windows) toggles bold on the selected text — or turns it on before you type. The neighbours follow the same pattern: ⌘I/Ctrl+I for italic, ⌘U/Ctrl+U for underline.
Works almost everywhere
Bold/italic/underline are consistent across Word, Google Docs, Slack, Notion, email and most editors. Strikethrough and clear-formatting vary more by app, which is why both platform combos are listed above.
Troubleshooting: Ctrl+B does nothing
Bold only works in rich-text fields. In a plain-text editor (Notepad, code editors, many chat boxes) Ctrl+B has no effect because the text has no styling. Select the text before pressing the key, or place the cursor where you want bold to start. Some apps (e.g. Slack, WhatsApp) use markup like *bold* instead of a shortcut.
FAQ
What is the bold shortcut?
Press ⌘B on the Mac or Ctrl+B on Windows to toggle bold on the selected text, or before you start typing.
What are the italic and underline shortcuts?
Italic is ⌘I / Ctrl+I and underline is ⌘U / Ctrl+U — the same letter keys as bold, one after the other on the keyboard.
How do I remove bold formatting?
Select the text and press ⌘B / Ctrl+B again to toggle it off, or clear all formatting with ⌘\ (Mac) / Ctrl+Space (Windows).
Why doesn't Ctrl+B make text bold?
You're likely in a plain-text field, which has no formatting. Bold works in word processors, docs and rich-text editors. Some chat apps use *asterisks* instead.
What are the shortcuts for italic and underline?
Italic is Ctrl+I (⌘I) and underline is Ctrl+U (⌘U) — the same across Word, Google Docs and most editors.