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How to Add Symbols in Canva: Text Symbols vs Icon Elements

How-To Guides · 2 min read · Published October 25, 2026

Quick answer: Canva has no Insert Symbol menu. Click into a text box and paste the symbol, or type it with your computer's tools: Win+. on Windows, Ctrl+Cmd+Space on a Mac, or a Windows numpad Alt code. If the symbol shows as a box, change the font. For larger graphic icons, use the Elements tab instead.

Quick reference: every method

Every Alt code below is verified against the real Windows code pages — where none exists we say so, rather than list one that won’t work.

Char	Name	Windows	Mac	HTML	Word (Alt+X)	Unicode
✓	Check Mark	Copy / paste	Copy / paste	`✓`	`2713 + Alt+X`	`U+2713`
★	Black Star	Copy / paste	Copy / paste	`★`	`2605 + Alt+X`	`U+2605`
→	Rightwards Arrow	`Alt+26`	Copy / paste	`→`	`2192 + Alt+X`	`U+2192`
•	Bullet	`Alt+0149`	`Option+8`	`•`	`2022 + Alt+X`	`U+2022`
©	Copyright Sign	`Alt+0169`	`Option+G`	`©`	`00A9 + Alt+X`	`U+00A9`
°	Degree Sign	`Alt+0176`	`Shift+Option+8`	`°`	`00B0 + Alt+X`	`U+00B0`
™	Trade Mark Sign	`Alt+0153`	`Option+2`	`™`	`2122 + Alt+X`	`U+2122`
²	Superscript Two	`Alt+0178`	Copy / paste	`²`	`00B2 + Alt+X`	`U+00B2`

Method 1: copy and paste

Find the symbol on this site, for example the check mark or black star, and copy it.
In Canva, double-click a text box to place the cursor.
Paste with Ctrl+V (Mac: Cmd+V). The symbol takes the text box's font, size and colour.

Method 2: type it with your computer

Windows emoji panel: Win+., then open the Symbols tab (details).
Mac Character Viewer: Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then expand it to search by name (details).
Windows Alt codes on the numeric keypad, for symbols up to code 255: Alt+0169 ©, Alt+0153 ™, Alt+0176 °, Alt+0149 •, Alt+0178 ². If the browser or Canva app ignores them, use the panel or paste instead (Alt code fixes).
Mac Option keys: Option+G ©, Option+2 ™, Option+8 •, Shift+Option+8 ° (more).

When a symbol shows as a box or changes shape

Many decorative fonts in Canva contain only letters, numbers and basic punctuation. When a character is missing, you see an empty box or a symbol in a different style from the rest of the line. To fix it:

Select only the symbol inside the text box.
Change its font to one that covers more characters. Plain sans-serif fonts are the best bet.
Check the result in the downloaded PDF or PNG, not just on screen.

More on this: why symbols show as boxes.

Text symbol or Elements icon?

Use a text symbol (✓ ★ → •) when…	Use an Elements icon when…
it sits inside a line of text, such as a ✓ list	it is a stand-alone graphic
it should change size and colour with the text	it needs several colours or a detailed shape
the text may be copied out of a PDF	the design is only shared as an image

To find icons, open Elements in the side panel and search for a word such as "arrow", "check" or "star".

Common design uses

Feature lists: ✓ or ✔ instead of the default bullet (check marks).
Prices and units: € £ ₹, °C, m² (currency symbols).
Dividers between items: • · | or ✦ (text dividers).

Frequently asked questions

How do I add special characters in Canva?

Click into a text box and paste the character, or type it with your computer: Win + . on Windows, Ctrl + Cmd + Space on a Mac, or a numpad Alt code such as Alt+0169 for ©. Canva has no menu of its own for special characters.

Why does a symbol look different or turn into a box in Canva?

The font you chose does not contain that symbol. Canva then shows a substitute from another font or an empty box. Select the text and try a font that covers more characters.

Should I use a text symbol or an icon element?

Use a text symbol when it sits inside a sentence and should scale and recolour with the text. Use an icon from Elements when you need a larger graphic, several colours or a shape that is not a character.

Looking for something else? Browse 1,000+ copy-paste symbols, the full Alt Codes finder, or the emoji picker.