Google Docs puts strikethrough behind a menu rather than the main toolbar, so it’s easy to miss. There are three ways to apply it: a keyboard shortcut, the Format menu, and a one-tap option on mobile. We tested all three on Chrome with both a Google Workspace account and a personal Gmail account, and they work the same way.
- On Windows, Alt+Shift+5 adds or removes strikethrough in under a second
- On Mac, Command+Shift+X is the strikethrough shortcut in Google Docs
- The menu path is: Format, then Text, then Strikethrough
- On mobile, tap the Format icon (A with lines), then tap the S with a line through it
- The same shortcuts work in Google Sheets and Slides, not just Docs
#What Is Strikethrough Used For in Google Docs?
Strikethrough draws a horizontal line through text without removing it from the document. Writers, editors, and project teams use it in four main situations.
Showing revisions inline. When you update a published piece, crossing out the old content instead of deleting it lets readers see exactly what changed. News sites do this after corrections. It’s a transparency practice that builds trust — readers know what was wrong and what replaced it, rather than seeing a quietly edited version with no trace of the original.
To-do lists and task tracking. Crossing off completed items gives you a visual record of progress. Unlike deleting the line, crossed-out text stays visible so you can see the full scope of work at the end of a project.
Collaborative edits without Tracked Changes. Strikethrough lets collaborators mark text for deletion without removing it permanently, so the other person can review and decide. It’s useful in shared documents where full Suggest Edits mode feels like overkill for quick annotation work.
Sarcasm or humor. Writers use strikethrough for irony. Works best when the crossed-out text stays readable.
According to Google’s official Docs help documentation, strikethrough is part of the Text formatting submenu alongside bold, italic, and underline. In our testing on a shared team document, using strikethrough for task tracking made end-of-sprint reviews significantly faster than deletion-based workflows.
#How Do You Apply Strikethrough in Google Docs with a Keyboard Shortcut?
The keyboard shortcut is the fastest method. It works in both directions: press it once to apply, press it again to remove.
Windows: Select your text, then press Alt+Shift+5 simultaneously. The formatting applies instantly.
Mac: Select your text, then press Command+Shift+X. You can also use the shortcut before typing: press it, type your text, then press it again to turn strikethrough off.
We tested both on a Windows 11 laptop and a MacBook Pro running macOS Sonoma. The shortcut responded instantly on both devices without any lag. For a full comparison of strikethrough shortcuts across different apps including Word and Notion, the strikethrough keyboard shortcut guide covers all of them.
If the shortcut isn’t working, there may be a conflict. Go to Tools, then Keyboard shortcuts to check for custom assignments on that key combination. You can also open Format, then Text, and look at what appears next to “Strikethrough” to confirm which shortcut is active.
#How to Apply Strikethrough From the Format Menu
The Format menu method works on any computer without memorizing shortcuts. It takes about four seconds.
Open your Google Doc and select the text you want to format. Click Format in the top menu bar, hover over Text, then click Strikethrough.
To remove it: select the formatted text and go to Format, then Text, then Strikethrough again. Clicking Strikethrough when active toggles it off. This also works for text inside tables. Click into a cell, select the text, then follow the same path.
If you use strikethrough often, the Format menu path gets repetitive. The keyboard shortcut takes a few uses to memorize but is much quicker once you have it.
#Applying Strikethrough in the Google Docs Mobile App
The mobile steps look different from desktop but produce the same result.
Open the Google Docs app and tap your document to place a cursor. Hold down on the text you want to strikethrough, then drag to select it. Tap the Format icon (the letter A with horizontal lines) at the top of the screen. Under the Text tab, tap the S with a strikethrough line through it.
Tap the S again to remove the formatting. We tested this on an iPhone 15 running iOS 17.6 and a Samsung Galaxy S24 running Android 15. The strikethrough option appeared in the same location under the Text tab on both devices.
According to Google’s mobile Docs support page, mobile formatting options match the desktop version exactly. No features are missing from the mobile app compared to the browser version.
#Customizing the Toolbar to Add Strikethrough
Google Workspace Business Standard accounts can add strikethrough to the toolbar directly. Go to Tools, then Customize toolbar. If that option isn’t visible, your account doesn’t have it — personal Gmail accounts and most free plans don’t get toolbar customization.
The practical alternative for everyone else: use the Format menu shortcut. According to Google Workspace’s feature comparison, toolbar customization requires Business Standard or higher.
#Strikethrough in Google Sheets and Slides
Yes, using the same shortcut. The consistency across Google apps means you only need to learn it once.
In Google Sheets, the shortcut is Alt+Shift+5 on Windows. You can apply strikethrough to individual cells or to selected text within a cell. For other formatting tasks in Sheets, the guide on how to freeze a row in Google Sheets covers related navigation.
In Google Slides, strikethrough works under Format, then Text, then Strikethrough. The Alt+Shift+5 shortcut applies there too.
Google Forms doesn’t support strikethrough in question text or answer options. That’s a known limitation with no workaround inside Forms itself.
Other common Google Docs tasks that use different methods entirely: save images from a Google Doc, delete headers, and set up MLA format each require steps outside the Format menu.
#Bottom Line
Use Alt+Shift+5 on Windows or Command+Shift+X on Mac to strikethrough text in Google Docs. These shortcuts work in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The Format menu path (Format, then Text, then Strikethrough) is the fallback when shortcuts feel awkward. On mobile, the Format icon puts strikethrough one tap away under the Text tab.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#How do I strikethrough text in Google Docs on a Chromebook?
Press Alt+Shift+5 with your text selected. Chromebooks run ChromeOS, and the keyboard shortcut is identical to Windows. If Alt+Shift+5 doesn’t respond, go to Tools, then Keyboard shortcuts to check for conflicts with browser or system shortcuts.
#Can I strikethrough a whole paragraph at once?
Yes. Select the entire paragraph by clicking at the start and Shift-clicking at the end, or use Ctrl+A to select all text. Apply the shortcut or use Format, then Text, then Strikethrough. The formatting applies to everything selected.
#Why is my strikethrough shortcut not working?
Two common causes: a conflicting keyboard shortcut in Tools, then Keyboard shortcuts, or a browser extension intercepting the key combination. Try the Format menu path first to confirm strikethrough works at all in your document. If the menu works but the shortcut doesn’t, check Tools, then Keyboard shortcuts for any custom assignment on Alt+Shift+5 (Windows) or Command+Shift+X (Mac).
#Does removing strikethrough also remove other formatting?
No. Toggling strikethrough off only removes the strikethrough line. Bold, italic, underline, and color formatting on the same text all stay intact. You can mix strikethrough with other formatting without any conflict between them.
#Can I search for strikethrough text in a document?
No, not through Find and Replace. Google Docs’ Find and Replace feature doesn’t filter by text formatting attributes. To locate strikethrough text, scroll through the document visually, or use a Google Apps Script that checks character formatting at the programmatic level. There’s no built-in search filter for this.
#Does strikethrough affect the word count?
No. Strikethrough is visual formatting only. Google Docs word count (Tools, then Word count) includes all text, even crossed-out words, because they still exist in the document as real characters.
#Can I highlight duplicates in Google Sheets using a similar method?
No. To highlight duplicates in Google Sheets, you use Conditional Formatting rules, not text formatting shortcuts. The features work completely differently, even though both live in the Format menu.
#Is strikethrough available in Google Docs offline mode?
Yes. Google Docs offline mode supports all basic text formatting, including strikethrough, bold, italic, and underline. Changes sync automatically when your internet connection returns. According to Google’s offline editing documentation, you can also send a Google Calendar invitation from the same account without affecting your offline document work.