To make small text in Discord, type -# followed by a space at the start of a new line, then type your message. Discord shows that line as smaller, grey subtext on desktop, web, iPhone, and Android. For a name, bio, or status, where -# does not work, copy Unicode tiny text from a generator and paste it instead.
This guide from Zyrro covers both methods, plus how to make one word small inside a sentence, the heading sizes for bigger text, how to shrink all of Discord, and fixes for the common reasons small text does not work.
Table of Contents
- What is small text in Discord?
- How do you make small text in Discord with subtext?
- How do you make small text in Discord on mobile?
- How do you make small text in a Discord bio, name, or status?
- How do you make only part of a sentence small?
- How big and small can Discord text get?
- How do you make all Discord text smaller?
- Why is your Discord small text not working?
- Is small text accessible, and when should you avoid it?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is small text in Discord?
Small text in Discord means one of two things, and mixing them up is the most common reason people get stuck. Subtext is Discord’s built-in formatting: a whole line shown smaller and grey. Unicode tiny text is a set of lookalike characters, such as small capitals and superscripts, that look small because of the characters themselves.
Definition: subtext is a message line that starts with -# and a space, rendered smaller and grey. Unicode tiny text is text made from small capital and superscript characters, copied from a generator, that keeps its small look anywhere text can be pasted.
| Method | How it works | Where it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subtext (-#) | Discord formatting, whole line | Chat messages on desktop, web, and mobile | Footnotes and side notes |
| Unicode tiny text | Small capital or superscript characters | Messages, names, bios, statuses, nicknames | Names, bios, one small word |
| Chat Font Scaling | A setting, your screen only | Your own view of Discord | Making everything easier to read |
Choose the method by where the text will live. Typing -# in a profile field does nothing, because profile fields do not run message formatting, while pasted Unicode characters stay small even when someone quotes your message. For the full set of Discord formatting options, see the Discord text formatting guide.
How do you make small text in Discord with subtext?
Subtext is the fastest method. It needs no tool, bot, or Nitro subscription, because it is part of Discord’s message formatting, like bold and italic.
- Open any Discord server channel or direct message where you can send messages.
- Start a new line in the message box. Subtext only works at the start of a line, so press Enter or Shift plus Enter first if you already typed normal text.
- Type a hyphen, a hash sign, and a space: -#
- Type your message after the space, for example: -# Sources are in the pinned post
- Send the message. Discord shows that line smaller and grey, while the rest of your message stays normal size.
Important: the space after the hash sign is required. Typing -#Hello with no space sends the characters literally, as normal text. Subtext applies to one line only, so repeat -# at the start of every line you want small. You can combine subtext with bold and italic inside the line, for example -# **Please read this first**, which keeps the line small and makes the words bold.
How do you make small text in Discord on mobile?
Small text on Discord mobile works the same way as on a computer, because subtext is typed characters, not a menu button. The only difference is finding the hyphen and hash keys on a phone keyboard. The app handles subtext the same way on Android and iPhone.
- Open the Discord app and open the channel or direct message.
- Tap the message box and start a new line if needed.
- Switch to the symbols keyboard to find the hyphen (-) and hash (#) keys. On most phone keyboards, tap the ?123 or symbols key first.
- Type -# followed by a space, then type your message.
- Tap Send. The line appears smaller and grey, just as it does on desktop.
On Android, tap ?123 for the symbols page; on iPhone, tap 123, then #+= if needed. Watch for autocorrect removing the space after #, and for smart punctuation changing the hyphen, so type -# in one go.
Tip: if typing -# on a phone keyboard feels slow, type the message in your notes app, copy it, and paste it into Discord. The formatting is in the characters, so pasting keeps it.
How do you make small text in a Discord bio, name, or status?
You cannot use -# in a Discord bio, display name, or custom status, because those fields do not run message formatting. The working method is Unicode tiny text: characters that look small on their own, so they keep their look anywhere they are pasted. Discord calls the profile text field “About Me”.
- Open the Fancy Text Generator and type your display name or bio line.
- Find the Small Caps style for small capital letters, or the Superscript style for raised tiny letters and numbers.
- Tap Copy, then paste into Discord: Edit Profile for your display name or About Me, or the custom status field.
- Check it on a second device, because a few characters can show as boxes on very old phones.
Small Caps replaces each letter with a small capital form, and Superscript replaces each letter with a raised tiny form. A few letters have no small-caps form, so they stay at normal size inside the word, which is normal and not a copying error.
| Profile field | Unicode tiny text works? | Rule to know |
|---|---|---|
| Display name | Yes | Keep your real name readable for friends |
| About Me (bio) | Yes | Use it for one line, not the whole bio |
| Custom status | Yes | Keep it short for a quick glance |
| Server nickname | Yes, in most servers | Owners can set nickname rules |
| Username | No | Only lowercase letters, numbers, underscores, and periods |
| Server name | No | Does not run message formatting reliably |
Important: do not confuse your display name with your username. Your username is the unique handle Discord uses to find you, and it rejects styled characters. Your display name is the name most people see in chat, and it accepts Unicode text. If pasted tiny text is rejected, you are almost certainly editing the username. For more styled name ideas, see how to pick a fancy text style.
How do you make only part of a sentence small?
Subtext cannot make one word small in the middle of a sentence, because it always applies to a whole line. If you need a small word inside normal text, Unicode tiny text is the only built-in option that works without a bot. Type the normal words as usual, paste the small-styled word where you want it, and keep typing normally after it.
Superscript characters work best for short inline pieces, such as a footnote marker or a tiny label. Small Caps characters work best for a short phrase, such as a tiny tag at the end of a sentence. Both styles are single Unicode characters, so each styled letter counts as one character toward Discord’s 2,000-character message limit. Keep inline tiny text short, and put important information, such as a date or a warning, in normal text instead.
How big and small can Discord text get?
Discord has a small ladder of text sizes built into message formatting, from large headings down to subtext. Subtext is the smallest size Discord offers in a message. There is no smaller built-in size below it, and adding more hyphens or hash signs does not shrink the text further. Typing –# or -## just sends extra characters as visible text.
| What you type | How Discord shows it | Size compared with normal text |
|---|---|---|
| # Heading | Large heading | Largest |
| ## Heading | Medium heading | Second largest |
| ### Heading | Small heading | Slightly larger than normal text |
| Normal text | Regular message text | Normal size |
| -# Subtext | Smaller, grey text | Smallest built-in size |
Headings and subtext must each start a new line, with a space after the hash sign. If a format did not apply, check what comes before it on the line first. Subtext is different from code formatting, which beginners often confuse with it: single backticks put words in a small grey monospace box, but that is code styling, not small text, and triple backticks make a separate code block. Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and spoiler text in Discord are separate effects, not sizes, and they can be combined with subtext.
How do you make all Discord text smaller?
Subtext changes one message. If every message looks too big on your screen, change Chat Font Scaling instead. This is a display setting, not a message format: it changes how Discord looks to you, and it does not change how anyone else sees your messages.
On desktop and web, open User Settings with the gear icon at the bottom left, choose Appearance, and move the Chat Font Scaling slider left to shrink chat text or right to enlarge it. The slider runs from 12px to 24px, and the default is 16px. The preview updates as you move it, and the change applies at once. On mobile, tap your profile picture, open Appearance, and move the text size slider the same way.
Tip: Chat Font Scaling is not the same as Zoom Level. Zoom Level, on the desktop app, magnifies the whole Discord window, including sidebars and menus. Keyboard zoom with Ctrl and Plus or Ctrl and Minus does the same in the desktop app and in a browser. If only chat text feels too big, use Chat Font Scaling. If the whole interface feels too big, use Zoom Level.
Why is your Discord small text not working?
Almost every small-text failure comes from one of a small set of causes. Work through the table from the top, and change only one thing at a time, so you know which fix worked.
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| -# shows literally in the sent message | No space after the hash sign | Type -#, a space, then your text |
| Text stays normal size | Words before -# on the same line | Put -# at the very start of a new line |
| Only the first line is small | Subtext does not carry to the next line | Repeat -# at the start of every small line |
| Only one word should be small | Subtext covers a whole line | Use Unicode tiny text for that word |
| Tiny text shows as boxes | Device font lacks those characters | Switch styles, or update the device |
| Subtext looks the same size | Outdated Discord app or web client | Update the app, or reload Discord |
| Tiny text rejected in a name field | You edited the username, not the display name | Edit the display name or About Me |
Important: if subtext worked yesterday and stopped working today, check for an extra character before -# first. A copied message often carries a hidden space at the start of the line, which breaks the line-start rule without being visible. Retype -# by hand at the start of a fresh line to rule this out.
Is small text accessible, and when should you avoid it?
Subtext is accessible in a way Unicode tiny text is not. Subtext is ordinary text with a display style, so a screen reader reads it as normal words, and Discord search still finds it. Unicode tiny text is a string of unusual characters, and screen readers may read it letter by letter, which turns a short name into a long, confusing announcement. The Fancy Text Generator itself warns that screen readers read styled text letter by letter.
Use subtext for its intended job: footnotes, sources, disclaimers, and quiet side notes that support a normal-size message. Avoid it for the main point of a message, for rules, deadlines, warnings, or instructions people must act on. If the small line is the only place a fact appears, a reader skimming the channel will miss it. The same restraint applies to Unicode tiny text: a styled display name is fine, but a whole announcement in tiny letters is hard to read, hard to search, and hard for assistive technology. Never use tiny text to hide content from moderators or to bury misleading fine print, such as a price change in a giveaway post.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do small text on Discord mobile?
On mobile, type -# followed by a space at the start of a new line, then type your message and send it. The line shows as smaller, grey subtext, just as on desktop. Use the symbols keyboard to find the hyphen and hash keys, and check the space after the hash sign before sending.
How can you make small text in your Discord bio?
Use Unicode tiny text, because -# subtext does not work in profile fields. Open the Fancy Text Generator, type your bio line, copy the Small Caps or Superscript style, and paste it into the About Me field in Edit Profile. The same method works for a display name and a custom status, but not for a username.
Why is my Discord small text not working?
The usual cause is a typing error: no space after the hash sign, words before -# on the same line, or a second line without its own -#. Retype -# plus a space at the very start of a fresh line. If Unicode text shows as boxes, switch styles or update the device.
How do you make text bigger in Discord?
Use headings at the start of a line: # for the largest heading, ## for a medium heading, and ### for the smallest heading, each followed by a space. For all text on your own screen, use Chat Font Scaling in Appearance instead, from 12px to 24px, with a 16px default.
What is the Discord small text generator?
It is a browser tool that converts normal letters into Unicode small capital, superscript, or subscript characters you can copy and paste. It is the method for places where -# subtext does not work, such as display names, bios, and statuses. Zyrro’s Fancy Text Generator includes Small Caps and Superscript styles for this job.
How do I do big bold text in Discord?
Use a heading plus bold: type # **Your text** at the start of a new line for the largest bold heading, or ## **Your text** for a medium one, with a space after the hash sign. Headings only work at the start of a line. For the biggest text on your own screen only, use Chat Font Scaling in Appearance instead — that changes your view, not the message.
How do you get the little letters on Discord?
The little letters are Unicode small capital and superscript characters, not a Discord font setting. Copy them from a generator such as the Fancy Text Generator, using its Small Caps or Superscript style, and paste them into your message, display name, bio, or status. Keep them short, because screen readers may read them letter by letter.
How do I resize the font size in Discord?
Open User Settings, choose Appearance, and move the Chat Font Scaling slider: left for smaller text, right for larger text. The slider runs from 12px to 24px, with 16px as the default, and changes apply at once. On mobile, use the text size slider in Appearance. This changes only your own view.
Small text in Discord is two tools, not one: -# subtext for small grey lines in messages, and Unicode tiny text for names, bios, and single small words. Learn the line-start rule, keep important facts in normal text, and test on mobile before posting in a busy server. Find more Discord formatting guides and free text tools from Zyrro.