Leftwards White Arrow ⇦

⇦ (U+21E6) 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: Leftwards White 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: LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW (code point U+21E6) belongs to the Arrows block and uses the Common script. It appears in text and graphics where direction matters. In many systems, the symbol signals a move or a return to a previous step. The code point is defined in Unicode and kept with other arrow characters for consistency across platforms. This specific arrow is a white arrow pointing left, which can pair with other directional marks in diagrams and interfaces. The historical use of arrows in documents helps guide readers through sequences, forms, and menus. The symbol is practical for navigation cues in interfaces, toolbars, and instructional content. In practice, designers choose this arrow to indicate backward movement, undo actions, or a step back in a flow. Its presence in the Arrows block makes it easy to locate in fonts and keyboards that support Unicode. Overall, the LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW serves as a clear, portable indicator of direction and backward navigation across languages and devices, aligning with common visual conventions for user guidance.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+21E6 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.