What is the Unicode codepoint for the left arrow symbol?

The standard left arrow (←) is U+2190, in the Arrows block. The leftwards arrow with hook (↩) is U+21A9 and the leftwards black arrow (⬅) is U+2B05.

What is the HTML entity for a left arrow?

Use ← or the named entity ← for the plain left arrow (←). The double-line left arrow (⇐) uses ⇐ or ⇐.

How do I use a left arrow in CSS?

Set the character as a content value on a pseudo-element, for example content: "\2190"; on a ::before selector, using the four-digit hex codepoint without the U+ prefix.

What is the URL-encoded form of a left arrow?

The plain left arrow (←) percent-encodes to %E2%86%90 in UTF-8, which is the form used in query strings and encoded URLs.

How do I type a left arrow on Windows?

In Word or Outlook, type 2190 then press Alt + X to convert it to ←. Outside Office, open Character Map (charmap.exe), search "leftwards arrow", then copy it.

How do I type a left arrow on Mac?

Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search "left arrow", then double-click the symbol to insert it.

Is the left arrow symbol the same as a triangle "back" arrow?

No. The left arrow (←) is a line-and-head glyph from the Arrows block, while the black left-pointing triangle (◀) is from the Geometric Shapes block and is commonly used as a "rewind" or "previous" media icon.

Left Arrow Symbol

Click any left arrow symbol below to copy it, with its Unicode codepoint, HTML entity, CSS content value, URL-encoded form, and keyboard shortcuts.

Click a symbol to copy

Format reference

Symbol	Unicode	HTML Entity	CSS content	URL Encoded
←	U+2190	← (←)	content: "\2190"	%E2%86%90
⇐	U+21D0	⇐ (⇐)	content: "\21D0"	%E2%87%90
↩	U+21A9	↩ (&larrhk;)	content: "\21A9"	%E2%86%A9
⬅	U+2B05	⬅	content: "\2B05"	%E2%AC%85
↞	U+219E	↞	content: "\219E"	%E2%86%9E
⇤	U+21E4	⇤	content: "\21E4"	%E2%87%A4
⟵	U+27F5	⟵	content: "\27F5"	%E2%9F%B5
◀	U+25C0	◀	content: "\25C0"	%E2%97%80

Common usage examples

Navigation / "back" button

← Back

Flowchart step

Start ← Verify email ← Sign up

Inline emphasis in prose

Return ← to the previous section for the setup steps.

Prior-step reference in a changelog

v2.1 ← reverted the default timeout to 30s.

Keyboard input methods

Windows

In Word or Outlook, type 2190 then press Alt + X to convert it to the left arrow. Outside Office, open Character Map and search "leftwards arrow".

Mac

Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer, search "left arrow", then double-click it.

Linux

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2190, then press Enter or Space.

Word / Office

Type 2190 then press Alt + X to convert it to the left arrow symbol.

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Summary

This page lists the leftward-pointing arrow symbols in Unicode, from the plain arrow (←) to double-line, hooked, heavy, and triangular variants. Each entry shows the character, its codepoint, the HTML entity, the CSS content value for use in a stylesheet, and the percent-encoded form for URLs. Keyboard methods for Windows, Mac, and Linux are included so the symbol can be typed directly without copying.

How it works

Browse the grid of left arrow symbol variants.
Click a symbol card to copy that character to your clipboard.
Open the format row for a symbol to see its Unicode entity, CSS content value, and URL-encoded form.
Follow the keyboard method for your OS to type the arrow directly.

Use cases

Add a "back" or "previous" arrow to a button label in prose.
Insert the correct HTML entity for a left arrow in markup.
Set a CSS content value on a ::before/::after pseudo-element for a left-pointing marker.
Draw a flowchart or process step using arrow symbols between labels.
Look up the URL-encoded form of an arrow for a query string or href.
Compare the thin arrow (←) against double-line, hooked, heavy, and triangular variants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu