How to Strikethrough in Google Docs (Menu and Shortcut)

Crossing something out is the quickest way to show a change without losing the old wording. I use it for to-do lists, for draft proposals where a client wants to see what's been dropped, and for meeting notes where an item has been dealt with.

The button isn't where most people expect it, because Google Docs doesn't put strikethrough on the main toolbar row the way it does bold and italics. Below are the routes Google's help pages describe, including the keyboard shortcut that saves the most clicks.

Crossing out text through the Google Docs Format menu

This is the route in Google's help article on changing how paragraphs and fonts look, and it works on a computer:

1. Highlight the words you want to cross out.
2. Open the Format menu at the top.
3. Choose Text.
4. Click Strikethrough.

The line goes through the selected words straight away. To take it off, repeat the same steps with the same text still highlighted. Google's page says the text styles you can apply from there include bold, italic, underline and strikethrough.

The keyboard shortcut for strikethrough in Google Docs

If you cross things out a lot, memorise this. Google's keyboard shortcuts article lists the strikethrough shortcut as Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows and Chrome OS, and Command + Shift + X on a Mac. Select the text, press the keys together and you're done. Press again to remove it.

Device	How Google's help says to do it
Windows or Chromebook	Select text, then Alt + Shift + 5
Mac	Select text, then Command + Shift + X
Any computer	Format, Text, Strikethrough
Android phone or tablet	Tap Edit, select text, tap Format and choose an option (menus vary)

Using strikethrough in the Google Docs app on your phone

Google's mobile page describes formatting on Android like this: open the document, tap Edit, double-tap where you want to edit, move the blue markers to select more text, tap Format and choose a format option. The overview lists strikethrough among the text options, but the page doesn't spell out a button-by-button route for it. Menus vary by app version, so if you can't see a strikethrough choice, it's quicker to finish the edit on a computer.

Strikethrough in Google Docs versus deleting or suggesting edits

Strikethrough is just formatting. The words stay in the document, which is the point if you want the old version visible. Deleting removes them. If what you really want is a record of who changed what, take a look at how Docs keeps version history, because a crossed-out line doesn't tell anyone who did it or when.

For a list of tasks that's heading for completion, crossed-out lines look neat, but a long document with dozens of struck-through paragraphs gets messy. Clear them out once a task is finished so your document stays readable.

Cross-out ideas for small business documents in Google Docs

• Quotes and proposals: strike through a line you've removed so a client sees the change, then delete it once they've agreed.
• Meeting notes: cross out actions as they're completed.
• Content calendars: strike through posts that have gone live.
• Checklists for launches: cross off each step so a team can see progress.
• Draft copy: keep old headline options struck through while you decide.

When I'm tightening a CV draft, I strike through weak bullet points before deleting them. If you're doing the same, my notes on keeping a resume simple enough to get noticed might help you decide what stays, and what a hiring manager wants to see covers the final polish.

Seeing how a struck-through Google Docs line looks to other people

Anyone who opens the document sees the line through your words exactly as you do, so it's a reliable way to show an old option next to a new one. If you share a document with a client, say what the crossed-out text means in a short note at the top. Some people read a struck-through sentence as an error rather than a deliberate edit, and a one-line explanation saves a confused email.

It also helps to pair strikethrough with a different text colour when you're comparing choices, for example the old version in grey and the new one in black. You'll find text colour in the same Format, Text area or on the toolbar, and it keeps the page easy to scan when several people are reading.

Mixing strikethrough with other formatting in Google Docs

Google's help describes bold, italic, underline and strikethrough as styles you can apply to the same selected text. That means a struck-through heading can also be bold if you want it to stand out while you decide whether to keep it. Be careful about overdoing it. Two styles on one line is plenty, and anything more makes the page look like a ransom note.

If strikethrough isn't working in Google Docs

1. Check the text is selected. The Format menu does nothing to an unselected cursor position.
2. Look under Format, then Text. The option isn't listed in the main toolbar row.
3. On a Mac, use Command + Shift + X. The Windows shortcut won't work there.
4. If a keyboard shortcut does nothing, your browser or a screen reader setting might be intercepting it, so use the menu route instead.
5. If the strikethrough won't clear, select the text again and repeat the same menu choice.
6. Still stuck? Contact Google through its help centre.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for strikethrough in Google Docs?

Google's keyboard shortcuts page lists Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows and Chrome OS and Command + Shift + X on Mac.

How do I cross out text using the menu?

Highlight the text, open Format, choose Text and click Strikethrough.

How do I remove strikethrough in Google Docs?

Select the crossed-out text and apply Strikethrough again, using the same menu route or shortcut.

Can I strikethrough in the Google Docs mobile app?

Google's Android help describes tapping Edit, selecting text, tapping Format and choosing an option, but it doesn't name a strikethrough route. Menus vary, so a computer is the safer bet.

Is strikethrough the same as deleting text?

No. The words stay in the document with a line through them. Deleting removes them completely.