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How to Highlight Text in Discord on Desktop

How to Highlight Text in Discord on Desktop

Discord has no traditional highlight button, but there are two honest substitutes, both shown on desktop: drag to select a message for yourself, or format it with asterisks so it stands out for everyone.

✅ Tested on
  • SystemWindows
  • AppDiscord
  • Last verifiedNovember 2, 2026

Every screenshot below is taken from the actual recording on this device — no stock images.

Steps

Drag to select a message

On desktop, click at the start of a message and drag over it. The text shows selected, as here with hello there — handy for copying, but only you see this highlight.

Drag to select a message

Type text for italics

For italics, type a single asterisk before your text and another at the end, like hi.

Type text for italics

Type text for bold

For bold, type double asterisks before and after your text, like hi.

Type text for bold

Send the formatted message

Send the message. The asterisks disappear and the text posts formatted — the demo hi posts slanted for italics and heavy for bold.

Send the formatted message

Good to know

  1. Discord has no word-processor-style permanent highlight; the methods here are selection (temporary, only you see it) and formatting (visible to everyone).
  2. Selecting text with click-and-drag on desktop only highlights it for you, for copying — other members do not see the highlight.
  3. The video title promises mobile tips, but no mobile footage appears: the long-press-to-select mobile method is narration-only and is not shown, so no mobile step is included here.
  4. Single asterisks make italics and double asterisks make bold; the asterisks themselves disappear once the message is sent.

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