Anticlockwise Top Semicircle Arrow ↶
↶ (U+21B6) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Anticlockwise Top Semicircle Arrow is part of the Symbols family (block: Arrows). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The character is named ANTICLOCKWISE TOP SEMICIRCLE ARROW. Its codepoint_hex is 21B6 and codepoint_u is U+21B6. It belongs to the Arrows block and uses the Common script. This symbol shows an arc at the top of a circle moving anticlockwise. It is designed to convey rotation or circular motion in a direction. In practice, the symbol is used to indicate a backward or reverse action in a visual layout. It can appear in menus, diagrams, and documentation where a counterclockwise motion helps explain a process. The accompanying description notes its role as an arrow that points to a direction. Arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents. When designers choose this glyph, they intend to communicate a reverse move or a loop in a workflow. The symbol fits with other arrows that guide users through steps or settings. It remains a compact and recognizable mark for indicating movement without text. Overall, this arrow supports clarity by showing a clear, intuitive direction in various digital and print materials.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+21B6 in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+21B6 - General Category:
So - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Block:
Arrows - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 86 B6 - UTF-16:
21B6 - UTF-32:
000021B6 - HTML dec:
↶ - HTML hex:
↶ - JS escape:
\u21B6 - Python \N{}:
\N{ANTICLOCKWISE TOP SEMICIRCLE ARROW} - Python \u:
\u21B6 - Python \U:
\U000021B6 - URL-encoded:
%E2%86%B6 - CSS escape:
\21B6
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+21B6 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.