Arrow symbols are special characters that point in a direction, used to show movement, order, or relationships between ideas. Some common arrow symbols include:
➜ → ← ↑ ↓ ↔ ⇒ ⇐ ↩ ↺
You can use them in documents, social media bios, presentations, flowcharts and diagrams, math notation, navigation mockups, and captions. Unicode actually defines several hundred arrow-style characters once you count every straight, curved, double-line, and dingbat variant across its Arrows, Supplemental Arrows, and Dingbats blocks — this guide covers the most useful ones. In this guide, you'll learn how to type arrow symbols on Windows, Mac, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, iPhone, Android, Chromebook, HTML, and more. You can also copy and paste the arrow symbols below if you need them quickly.
Quick Answer
The fastest way to type a basic arrow like → is a classic Alt code — hold Alt and type 26 on the numeric keypad. For arrows without an Alt code, like ⇒ or ↺, type the Unicode code (e.g., 21D2) in Word and press Alt+X, or just copy and paste it from the list below. On iPhone and Android, open the emoji keyboard and check the Symbols category for arrows.
Arrow Symbols Copy and Paste
Click any symbol below to copy it. You can also search for words like right arrow symbol, down arrow, html arrow, or arrow character.
Filter: All | Basic | Double | Curved | Triangle & Block | Diagonal
Showing 27 of 27 arrow symbols
Basic
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| → | Right Arrow | U+2192 |
| ← | Left Arrow | U+2190 |
| ↑ | Up Arrow | U+2191 |
| ↓ | Down Arrow | U+2193 |
| ↔ | Left-Right Arrow | U+2194 |
| ↕ | Up-Down Arrow | U+2195 |
Double
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| ⇒ | Rightwards Double Arrow | U+21D2 |
| ⇐ | Leftwards Double Arrow | U+21D0 |
| ⇑ | Upwards Double Arrow | U+21D1 |
| ⇓ | Downwards Double Arrow | U+21D3 |
| ⇔ | Left-Right Double Arrow | U+21D4 |
| ⇕ | Up-Down Double Arrow | U+21D5 |
Curved
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| ↩ | Leftwards Hook Arrow | U+21A9 |
| ↪ | Rightwards Hook Arrow | U+21AA |
| ↺ | Anticlockwise Circle Arrow | U+21BA |
| ↻ | Clockwise Circle Arrow | U+21BB |
| ↰ | Up Arrow, Tip Left | U+21B0 |
| ↱ | Up Arrow, Tip Right | U+21B1 |
Triangle & Block
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| ➤ | Black Arrowhead | U+27A4 |
| ➔ | Heavy Wide-Headed Arrow | U+2794 |
| ➜ | Heavy Round-Tipped Arrow | U+279C |
| ▲ | Up Triangle | U+25B2 |
| ▼ | Down Triangle | U+25BC |
Diagonal
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| ↗ | North East Arrow | U+2197 |
| ↘ | South East Arrow | U+2198 |
| ↙ | South West Arrow | U+2199 |
| ↖ | North West Arrow | U+2196 |
Tip: If a curved, double-line, or dingbat-style arrow appears as a box, your device or font may not support it. Try a simpler symbol like →, ←, ↑, or ↓ instead.
Popular arrow symbols: → ← ↑ ↓ ↔ ↕ ⇒ ⇐ ⇔ ↩ ↪ ↺ ↻ ➤ ▲ ▼ ↗ ↘ ↙ ↖
Quick Reference: Common Arrow Symbols
| Symbol | Name | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| → | Right Arrow | U+2192 |
| ← | Left Arrow | U+2190 |
| ↑ | Up Arrow | U+2191 |
| ↓ | Down Arrow | U+2193 |
| ↔ | Left-Right Arrow | U+2194 |
| ↕ | Up-Down Arrow | U+2195 |
| ↗ | North East Arrow | U+2197 |
| ↘ | South East Arrow | U+2198 |
| ↙ | South West Arrow | U+2199 |
| ↖ | North West Arrow | U+2196 |
| ⇒ | Rightwards Double Arrow | U+21D2 |
| ⇐ | Leftwards Double Arrow | U+21D0 |
| ⇔ | Left-Right Double Arrow | U+21D4 |
| ↩ | Leftwards Hook Arrow | U+21A9 |
| ↪ | Rightwards Hook Arrow | U+21AA |
| ↺ | Anticlockwise Circle Arrow | U+21BA |
| ↻ | Clockwise Circle Arrow | U+21BB |
| ➤ | Black Arrowhead | U+27A4 |
| ▲ | Up Triangle | U+25B2 |
| ▼ | Down Triangle | U+25BC |
The Fastest Way to Type an Arrow Symbol
| What you want | Best method |
|---|---|
| A basic straight arrow (→ ← ↑ ↓) | Alt code on Windows, or copy-paste |
| A two-way arrow (↔ ↕) | Alt code on Windows, or copy-paste |
| A diagonal arrow (↗ ↘ ↙ ↖) | Copy-paste (no simple Alt code) |
| A math/logic double arrow (⇒ ⇔) | Word Unicode, LaTeX command, or copy-paste |
| A curved or circular arrow (↺ ↻ ↩ ↪) | Copy-paste |
| A triangle or block arrow (➤ ▲ ▼) | Copy-paste or Word Unicode |
| An arrow in HTML or web code | A named or decimal entity |
| An arrow on iPhone or Android | The Symbols section of your emoji keyboard |
Method 1: Type Arrow Symbols on Windows Using Alt Code
Windows has built-in Alt codes for a handful of classic arrows — the same ones that have shipped with every PC keyboard since the earliest versions of DOS. It only works with the numeric keypad, not the number row above your letters.
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type the code on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt — the symbol appears.
| Code | Symbol | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Alt+18 | ↕ | Up-Down Arrow |
| Alt+23 | ↨ | Up-Down Arrow with Base |
| Alt+24 | ↑ | Up Arrow |
| Alt+25 | ↓ | Down Arrow |
| Alt+26 | → | Right Arrow |
| Alt+27 | ← | Left Arrow |
| Alt+29 | ↔ | Left-Right Arrow |
| Alt+30 | ▲ | Up Triangle |
| Alt+31 | ▼ | Down Triangle |
Diagonal arrows (↗ ↘ ↙ ↖), double-line arrows (⇒ ⇔), and curved arrows (↺ ↩) don't have simple Alt codes. Use the Word Unicode method or copy-paste for those instead.
Method 2: Type Arrow Symbols in Microsoft Word Using Unicode
Word can convert a Unicode code into a symbol on the fly. For example, to insert ⇒, type 21D2, then immediately press Alt+X. Word replaces the code with the ⇒ symbol.
| Symbol | Name | Type this in Word | Then press |
|---|---|---|---|
| → | Right Arrow | 2192 | Alt+X |
| ← | Left Arrow | 2190 | Alt+X |
| ↑ | Up Arrow | 2191 | Alt+X |
| ↓ | Down Arrow | 2193 | Alt+X |
| ↔ | Left-Right Arrow | 2194 | Alt+X |
| ↕ | Up-Down Arrow | 2195 | Alt+X |
| ↗ | North East Arrow | 2197 | Alt+X |
| ↘ | South East Arrow | 2198 | Alt+X |
| ↙ | South West Arrow | 2199 | Alt+X |
| ↖ | North West Arrow | 2196 | Alt+X |
| ⇒ | Rightwards Double Arrow | 21D2 | Alt+X |
| ⇐ | Leftwards Double Arrow | 21D0 | Alt+X |
| ⇔ | Left-Right Double Arrow | 21D4 | Alt+X |
| ↩ | Leftwards Hook Arrow | 21A9 | Alt+X |
| ↪ | Rightwards Hook Arrow | 21AA | Alt+X |
| ↺ | Anticlockwise Circle Arrow | 21BA | Alt+X |
| ↻ | Clockwise Circle Arrow | 21BB | Alt+X |
Method 3: Insert Arrow Symbols in Word Using the Symbol Menu
- Click Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
- Choose a font with broad symbol coverage, like Segoe UI Symbol.
- Set the subset dropdown to Arrows — Word groups almost every arrow variant here.
- Select the symbol, then click Insert.
Method 4: Type Arrow Symbols on Windows (General)
- Copy and paste — grab any symbol from the table above and paste it wherever you need it.
- Character Map — press Start, type "Character Map," open it, search by name (e.g., "rightwards arrow"), select the symbol, then copy.
- Windows emoji panel — press Win+. or Win+;, open the Symbols tab (Ω icon), and search "arrow."
Method 5: Type Arrow Symbols on Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer.
- Search for the arrow you want by name (e.g., "right arrow," "double arrow," "circular arrow").
- Double-click the symbol to insert it.
- Star a symbol to favorite it for quick access next time.
Method 6: Type Arrow Symbols in Excel
- Copy and paste the symbol directly into a cell.
- Insert Symbol menu — Insert → Symbol → set the subset to Arrows.
- Formula example — append a symbol to a cell's contents:
=A1&" →"turns "Step 1" in cell A1 into "Step 1 →".
Method 7: Type Arrow Symbols in PowerPoint
- Copy and paste into any text box — useful for flowcharts, process diagrams, and callouts.
- Insert Symbol — Insert → Symbols → Symbol, then set the subset to Arrows.
- Emoji panel — Win+. on Windows or Control+Command+Space on Mac.
Method 8: Type Arrow Symbols in Google Docs
- Click Insert → Special characters.
- Search by name, or literally draw the arrow's shape in the drawing box — Google's picker will match it to the closest character.
- Click the symbol to insert it at your cursor.
Method 9: Type Arrow Symbols in Google Sheets
Sheets doesn't have Docs' full special-character menu, so copy-paste is the most reliable method. This also works well for a quick trend dashboard:
Revenue ↑ 12%
Costs ↓ 4%
Users → flat
Method 10: Type Arrow Symbols on iPhone and iPad
- Open the emoji keyboard by tapping the globe or emoji icon.
- Scroll to the Symbols category.
- Browse or use the search bar to find →, ←, ↑, ↓, and related arrows.
- Tap the symbol to insert it.
Method 11: Type Arrow Symbols on Android
- Open the emoji keyboard in Gboard (or your keyboard app).
- Look for the Symbols tab, usually alongside the emoji categories.
- Browse or search for "arrow," then tap a symbol to insert it.
Method 12: Type Arrow Symbols on Chromebook
- Copy and paste the symbol from this page.
- Right-click emoji picker — right-click any text field and choose the emoji/symbol option.
- Unicode input — press Ctrl+Shift+U, type the code (e.g., 2192), then press Enter. This produces →.
Method 13: Type Arrow Symbols in HTML
| Symbol | Name | HTML Code |
|---|---|---|
| → | Right Arrow | → or → |
| ← | Left Arrow | ← or ← |
| ↑ | Up Arrow | ↑ or ↑ |
| ↓ | Down Arrow | ↓ or ↓ |
| ↔ | Left-Right Arrow | ↔ or ↔ |
| ↕ | Up-Down Arrow | ↕ |
| ⇒ | Rightwards Double Arrow | ⇒ or ⇒ |
| ⇐ | Leftwards Double Arrow | ⇐ or ⇐ |
| ⇔ | Left-Right Double Arrow | ⇔ or ⇔ |
| ↩ | Leftwards Hook Arrow | ↩ |
| ↪ | Rightwards Hook Arrow | ↪ |
| ▲ | Up Triangle | ▲ |
Example: <p>Next step →</p> renders as: Next step →
Method 14: Type Arrow Symbols in CSS
.next::after {
content: "→";
}
Or with an escape code instead of the literal glyph:
.next::after {
content: "\2192";
}
| Symbol | CSS Unicode |
|---|---|
| → | \2192 |
| ← | \2190 |
| ↑ | \2191 |
| ↓ | \2193 |
| ⇒ | \21D2 |
| ↺ | \21BA |
Method 15: Type Arrow Symbols in LaTeX
Arrows are core LaTeX math symbols, so unlike some special characters, you don't need XeLaTeX, LuaLaTeX, or any Unicode package — the standard commands below work in plain pdfLaTeX inside math mode ($...$).
| Symbol | LaTeX Command |
|---|---|
| → | \rightarrow or \to |
| ← | \leftarrow |
| ↑ | \uparrow |
| ↓ | \downarrow |
| ↔ | \leftrightarrow |
| ⇒ | \Rightarrow |
| ⇐ | \Leftarrow |
| ⇔ | \Leftrightarrow |
Real usage example, showing a function mapping one set to another:
$f: A \to B$
Or a logical implication:
$P \Rightarrow Q$
Arrow Symbols: Names and Meanings
| Symbol | Meaning / Use |
|---|---|
| → | Direction, "next," or progression |
| ← | Direction, "back," or previous |
| ↑ | Increase, upward movement |
| ↓ | Decrease, downward movement |
| ↔ | Two-way relationship or exchange |
| ↕ | Vertical toggle or adjustable range |
| ⇒ | Logical implication ("if...then") |
| ⇔ | Logical equivalence ("if and only if") |
| ↩ | Return, undo, or "back to" |
| ↪ | Continue, redirect, or "into" |
| ↺ | Undo or refresh (counterclockwise) |
| ↻ | Redo or refresh (clockwise) |
| ➤ | Bullet-style pointer or call-to-action |
| ▲ | Rank up, increase, expand |
| ▼ | Rank down, decrease, collapse |
Text-Style Arrows vs. Emoji-Style Arrows
Text-style arrows →, ←, ↑, and ↓ render as plain, single-color characters that match your surrounding font — best for documents, spreadsheets, math notation, and print.
Emoji-style arrows ➡️, ⬅️, ⬆️, and ⬇️ render as full-color rounded icons on supporting apps and phone keyboards — best for chats, social captions, and casual bios.
Why → Sometimes Looks Different from ➡️
Unlike some symbol families, the plain arrow (→, U+2192) and the emoji-style arrow (➡️) aren't the same character with a variation selector attached — they're actually two separate Unicode characters (U+2192 vs. U+27A1). That's why copying → from a document won't automatically give you the colorful emoji version, and why phone keyboards list them as distinct options in the Symbols and Emoji categories.
Arrows in Documents & Presentations
Reports and slide decks use arrows to show sequence or change at a glance.
Q1 → Q2 → Q3 → Q4
Revenue ↑ 18% year over year
Accessibility note: don't rely on arrow direction alone to convey meaning — pair ↑ and ↓ with a word like "increased" or "decreased" so screen readers can announce it clearly.
Arrows in Flowcharts & Diagrams
Process diagrams use arrows to connect steps and show the direction of flow.
Start → Review → Approve → Ship
Arrows in Math & Logic Notation
Arrows carry precise, standardized meanings in math and logic, so the direction and line style both matter.
f: A → B
P ⇒ Q
x ↔ y
Arrows in Social Media Bios & Captions
Bios and captions often use arrows to point toward a link or highlight a change.
✿ links below ↓
new drop ➤ shop now
Why Some Arrow Symbols Show as Boxes
A box (or a "tofu" placeholder) means the font on your device doesn't include that character — this happens most often with the rarer curved, dingbat, and double-line arrows.
How to fix it: - Use a simpler, more common arrow like →, ←, ↑, or ↓ instead of a rare one. - Change the font to one with broad symbol support, like Segoe UI Symbol or Noto Sans Symbols. - Update your OS or browser to the latest version. - Avoid rare symbols in contexts where universal support matters, like email signatures. - Convert text to outlines before printing if a design program is losing the glyph.
Why Alt Codes Are Not Working
- Num Lock is off. Turn it on before you start typing the code.
- You're using the number row instead of the numeric keypad. Alt codes only work with the keypad, not the numbers above your letters.
- Your laptop has no numeric keypad. Use the Fn+keypad overlay if your laptop has one, or switch to copy-paste.
- That arrow has no simple Alt code. Diagonal (↗) and double-line (⇒) arrows need the Word Unicode method or copy-paste instead.
- You're in an app that overrides Alt shortcuts. Some browsers and Excel reassign Alt combinations — try Word or a plain text editor instead.
Best Arrow Symbol to Use
| Purpose | Recommended symbol |
|---|---|
| A simple directional pointer | → |
| A two-way comparison | ↔ |
| Logical implication in math | ⇒ |
| Logical equivalence in math | ⇔ |
| An undo or refresh action | ↺ |
| A call-to-action or bullet pointer | ➤ |
| Showing a trend increase | ▲ or ↑ |
| Showing a trend decrease | ▼ or ↓ |
| Web or HTML code | → |
FAQs About Arrow Symbols
What is the → symbol called?
It's called the rightwards arrow, or just "the right arrow symbol."
How do I type arrow symbols on Windows?
Use a numeric-keypad Alt code for the basic arrows (like Alt+26 for →), or type a Unicode code in Word followed by Alt+X for arrows without one.
How do I type arrow symbols on Mac?
Press Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, then search by name and double-click to insert.
How do I type an arrow symbol in Microsoft Word?
Type the arrow's Unicode code, then immediately press Alt+X, and Word converts it into the symbol.
How do I type an arrow symbol on iPhone?
Open your emoji keyboard and check the Symbols category, or copy and paste from a page like this one.
What's the Unicode or HTML code for an arrow symbol?
Every arrow has a Unicode code point (like U+2192 for →) and a matching HTML code (like → or →) — check the Quick Reference table above for the full list.
What's the difference between → and ⇒?
→ is a single-line arrow typically used for direction or simple mapping, while ⇒ is a double-line arrow reserved in math and logic for "implies" or "if...then."
Can I use arrow symbols on Instagram or TikTok?
Yes — text-style arrows like →, ←, ↑, and ↓ are standard Unicode characters, so they display fine in bios, captions, and usernames on both platforms.
How do I type an arrow symbol in LaTeX?
Use a built-in math command like \rightarrow or \Rightarrow inside math mode — no special package or Unicode-aware engine is needed.
How do I make an arrow symbol on my keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 26 on the numeric keypad for →; on Mac, search "arrow" in Character Viewer; or copy-paste it directly.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for the arrow symbol?
Yes — on Windows, Alt+24 through Alt+29 cover the four basic directions plus ↕ and ↔ using the numeric keypad.
What does a double arrow (⇒) mean in math?
It means "implies" — the statement before the arrow logically leads to the statement after it.
How do I type a down arrow on my phone?
Open your emoji keyboard, go to the Symbols category, and search or scroll for the down arrow (↓).
Why won't the arrow symbol show up when I type it?
It's usually a font issue, a missing numeric keypad, or an app that overrides the Alt shortcut — copy-pasting the symbol directly sidesteps all three.
Related Symbol Guides
You might also find these guides useful:
- Copy and Paste Symbols — a searchable hub for every symbol on the site
- TM Symbols — how to type ™, ®, and © across every platform
- Star Symbols — decorative stars for bios, ratings, and designs
- Dot Symbols — bullet points, middle dots, and decorative dot marks
Conclusion
For the basic set — → ← ↑ ↓ ↔ and ↕ — a numeric-keypad Alt code is the fastest route on Windows, while Mac users can search Character Viewer for almost anything. For math and logic arrows like ⇒ and ⇔, LaTeX's built-in commands work without any special setup, and for rare curved or dingbat-style arrows, copy-pasting straight from the top of this page is always the fastest fallback on any device.
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