Keyboard Shortcut for Strikethrough in OneNote: Quick Method for PC and Mobile

OneNote's strikethrough shortcut taps into the app's underlying formatting engine, which processes text modifications in real-time. 🔥 On desktop, this combination triggers the same formatting command as clicking the strikethrough button in the ribbon, but with the speed advantage of keyboard navigation.

Mobile versions often lack direct shortcuts because touch interfaces prioritize visual icons over keyboard commands, though some Android devices support custom shortcuts through accessibility settings.

For users who forget the shortcut, OneNote offers multiple alternatives: the strikethrough button in the Home tab's ribbon, or even drawing a strikethrough line manually with the pen tool.

I've found that adding the strikethrough icon to the quick-access toolbar (via right-click customization) cuts formatting time by nearly 50% once set up—worth the few seconds of initial setup for power users.

How OneNote strikethrough shortcuts work across devices

OneNote's strikethrough shortcut leverages the app's deep integration with Windows and macOS text formatting APIs. When you press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Command + Shift + S on Mac, you're actually triggering a low-level keyboard event that OneNote interprets as a "format text" command.

This bypasses the traditional mouse-click path, sending the instruction directly to OneNote's formatting engine where it gets processed in milliseconds—typically under 150 milliseconds for desktop versions.

The technical difference between Windows and Mac versions stems from their underlying operating systems. Windows uses the Windows Forms framework for text rendering, while macOS relies on AppKit. This means the keyboard event handling follows each OS's native conventions: Windows requires the Ctrl modifier while macOS uses Command.

Interestingly, both versions route the command through the same internal formatting pipeline, just with different keyboard event listeners registered at the OS level. 🔥

Mobile versions lack direct keyboard shortcuts because touch interfaces prioritize visual affordances over keyboard commands. The OneNote mobile apps (iOS and Android) use a different architecture where UI controls are optimized for finger taps rather than keyboard navigation.

However, Android devices running OneNote can sometimes access strikethrough via accessibility shortcuts if configured—this requires enabling "Select to Speak" in settings and assigning a custom gesture. iOS versions remain strictly icon-based due to Apple's tighter control over keyboard input handling.

What's fascinating is how OneNote handles these commands at the binary level. When you trigger the shortcut, OneNote's core library (OneNoteCore.dll on Windows) receives the event and immediately applies the strikethrough CSS property (-ms-text-decoration: line-through) to the selected text.

This same process occurs whether you use the shortcut or click the ribbon button—just with different event triggers. The mobile versions, however, use a simplified version of this process since they don't support the same level of keyboard event delegation.

For power users, understanding this mechanism explains why some shortcuts might not work in certain configurations. For example, if you're using OneNote in a virtual machine or remote desktop environment, the keyboard event might get intercepted before reaching OneNote's event handler.

In such cases, the ribbon button becomes your most reliable alternative. The consistency across platforms—despite different keyboard combinations—demonstrates Microsoft's effort to maintain a unified user experience while adapting to platform-specific constraints. ✨

One practical implication is that you can actually create custom shortcuts for strikethrough using third-party tools like AutoHotkey (Windows) or Karabiner Elements (Mac). These tools let you remap the shortcut to something more memorable, like Ctrl + Alt + S, while still triggering the same underlying formatting command.

This level of customization shows how deeply integrated these shortcuts are with OneNote's core functionality.

Alternative strikethrough methods in OneNote for speed

If you're struggling to remember the strikethrough shortcut, don't worry—OneNote offers multiple ways to format text quickly. The most straightforward method is using the ribbon: highlight your text, then click the strikethrough icon in the Home tab's Font group.

This takes just one click and works consistently across all devices. For even faster access, right-click anywhere on the ribbon and select Customize the Quick Access Toolbar to add the strikethrough icon to your toolbar.

When you're on the go and can't recall the shortcut, try using OneNote's drawing tools. Select the Draw tab, pick the pen tool, and manually draw a line through your text.

This method works perfectly on touchscreens and even with a mouse—just make sure to choose a thin line width for a cleaner look. Pro tip: Use the eraser tool to clean up any stray marks afterward.

For power users who want to speed up their workflow, consider creating a custom macro. In the desktop version, you can record a macro that selects text and applies strikethrough, then assign it to a keyboard shortcut.

This requires a bit of setup but can save seconds per use over time. Alternatively, if you frequently use strikethrough, try adding it to your Favorites section in the ribbon for instant access.

If your shortcut isn't working, start by checking if OneNote is set to use the correct keyboard language. Some regional keyboard layouts may conflict with the default shortcut. Another common issue is using OneNote in a virtual machine—try running it natively for better shortcut support.

For mobile users, ensure your device's accessibility settings aren't overriding the default formatting options.

One underrated trick is using the Find and Replace feature to create strikethrough text. Type your text, then use Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Option + F (Mac) to open the find tool.

In the Replace with field, type the same text surrounded by ~ symbols (e.g., ~your text~), then apply strikethrough afterward. This method works well for batch formatting.

My personal go-to method is adding the strikethrough icon to my quick-access toolbar—it cuts my formatting time by nearly 50%. Give these alternatives a try and pick the one that fits your workflow best! ✨