Leftwards Arrow ←
Usage snapshot:
- Arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents.
- Often used for Back/previous navigation or to indicate a move to the left.
History & usage: The LEFTWARDS ARROW depicts a leftward direction and is used to convey movement on screen. It signals a navigation cue in interfaces and documents, guiding users how to proceed. In practice, it is used for Back or previous navigation, or to indicate a move to the left while selecting items. It can also mark a leftward step or option in menus and guides. For accessibility, designers can provide clear labels or ARIA hints when the arrow appears with interactive controls. On different platforms, the glyph generally renders as a simple left-pointing stroke, and screen readers announce its direction to assist navigation.
See our category page for related symbols.
Need styled alternatives? Try the Fancy Text tool.
This reference covers U+2190 Leftwards Arrow with practical usage tips and links.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+2190 - Block:
Arrows - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 86 90 - UTF-16:
2190 - UTF-32:
00002190 - HTML dec:
← - HTML hex:
← - JS escape:
\u2190 - Python \N{}:
\N{LEFTWARDS ARROW} - Python \u:
\u2190 - Python \U:
\U00002190 - URL-encoded:
%E2%86%90 - CSS escape:
\2190
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+2190 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ← (hex) or ← (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.