← left arrow
←
U+2190
Copy as
| Character | ← | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+2190 | |
| HTML decimal | ← | |
| HTML hexadecimal | ← | |
| HTML named entity | ← | |
| CSS content | \2190 | |
| JavaScript / UTF-16 | \u2190 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 86 90 |
Meaning & usage
Left arrow (←) indicates a direction, a transition or the next step in text.
Its orientation matters: choose a matching arrow for navigation hints, comparisons or a sequence of steps.
The left arrow points toward the left; U+2190 distinguishes it from other arrows that can look similar at small sizes.
left arrow 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 left arrow
- Windows
- Use Win + . for the emoji and symbol panel, or Character Map for supported fonts. In Microsoft Word, enter each hexadecimal code (2190) 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 left arrow. 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 2190, then Enter. Enter each code point separately for sequences. Other desktops or apps may require their character picker.
- iPhone & Android
- Look for left arrow 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.