How to Highlight Text in Yahoo Mail Messages

Make your text stand out when sending messages with Yahoo Mail

Close-up of pen on underlined text

Maulashree Shanbhag/EyeEm/Getty Images

by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated July 23, 2019

Yahoo Mail offers several ways to make text stand out when composing a message. For example, highlight text by adding a background color. There are even keyboard shortcuts you can use to quickly apply underline, bold, and italic formatting.

Instructions in this article apply to the standard web version of Yahoo Mail. Yahoo Mail Basic and the Yahoo Mail mobile app offer limited formatting options.

How to Underline, Bold, or Italicize Text in Yahoo Mail

Highlight the text you wish to format, and then enter one of the following shortcuts:

  • Press Ctrl+B (Windows, Linux) or Command+B (Mac) for bold text.
  • Press Ctrl+I (Windows, Linux) or Command+I (Mac) for italics.
  • Press Ctrl+U (Windows, Linux) or Command+U (Mac) for underlined text.

Boldface and italics are preferable for emphasizing full sentences since underlining can make text harder to read. Underlining individual words (such as new terms) is more appropriate.

How to Highlight Text With a Color

To call out text by changing its background color:

  1. Highlight the text, go to the message toolbar, then select Text Color.

    Text color icon in Yahoo Mail

  2. In the Text group, select a color for the text.

    Text color picker in Yahoo Mail

  3. In the Highlight group, select a color for the text background.

Not all email programs display highlights and other text formatting.

You can also change fonts for emphasis in Yahoo Mail or use ready-made email stationery.