● black circle
●
U+25CF
Copy as
| Character | ● | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+25CF | |
| HTML decimal | ● | |
| HTML hexadecimal | ● | |
| HTML named entity | — | |
| CSS content | \25CF | |
| JavaScript / UTF-16 | \u25CF | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 97 8F |
Meaning & usage
Black circle (●) adds a geometric marker to text.
Use it as a bullet, legend marker or decorative accent; contrast and size affect whether its outline remains legible.
The black circle is a filled design. U+25CF keeps this variant separate from similarly shaped characters, so compare neighboring forms before choosing it for a repeating pattern.
black circle occupies one Unicode code point. A similar-looking letter, punctuation mark or emoji is not necessarily interchangeable with ● in search, filenames or text processing.
How to type black circle
- Windows
- Use Win + . for the emoji and symbol panel, or Character Map for supported fonts. In Microsoft Word, enter each hexadecimal code (25CF) and press Alt + X. There is no universal decimal Alt code for this character; legacy Alt codes depend on the code page.
- Mac
- Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for black circle. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled, hold Option and enter the UTF-16 units shown above. Standard Option shortcuts do not cover every Unicode symbol.
- Linux
- In compatible GTK applications, press Ctrl + Shift + U, enter 25CF, then Enter. Enter each code point separately for sequences. Other desktops or apps may require their character picker.
- iPhone & Android
- Look for black circle in your emoji keyboard if available, or copy it here and paste. Save frequently used symbols as a text replacement or keyboard shortcut; availability varies by keyboard.