How to Type Arrow Symbols (→ ← ↑ ↓ ↔)
Arrows are handy for directions, flowcharts, sports scores and "before → after" comparisons. The four basic arrows have a pleasant surprise: they’re part of code page 437, so they have short Alt codes that genuinely work on Windows.
Right → = Alt+26, Left ← = Alt+27, Up ↑ = Alt+24, Down ↓ = Alt+25. The up-down and left-right arrows are Alt+18 and Alt+29.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → | Rightwards Arrow | Alt+26 |
Copy / paste | → |
2192 + Alt+X |
U+2192 |
| ← | Leftwards Arrow | Alt+27 |
Copy / paste | ← |
2190 + Alt+X |
U+2190 |
| ↑ | Upwards Arrow | Alt+24 |
Copy / paste | ↑ |
2191 + Alt+X |
U+2191 |
| ↓ | Downwards Arrow | Alt+25 |
Copy / paste | ↓ |
2193 + Alt+X |
U+2193 |
Basic arrows (real Alt codes)
These come from the DOS code page 437 low range, so use the no-leading-zero method on the numeric keypad. In HTML, the four directions are → →, ← ←, ↑ ↑ and ↓ ↓. In Word, type the hex code (2192 for →) then Alt+X.
Double, curved and heavy arrows
Beyond the basics — double arrows (⇒), curved arrows (↵), heavy arrows (➔) and the hundreds of others in the Arrows and Supplemental Arrows blocks — sit above codepoint 255 and have no Alt code. Copy them from our Arrows category page, or use Word’s Alt+X. Don’t trust any site that lists "Alt+8658" for ⇒; it won’t work.
Handy tips
- The four basic arrows double as movement keys in old-school ASCII art — our ASCII editor uses them.
- For an arrow that points diagonally, look in the Arrows category; there are eight compass directions.
- Emoji arrows (⬆️ and friends) are separate colourful characters found on the emoji keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alt code for a right arrow?
Alt+26 on Windows (no leading zero) produces →. Left is Alt+27, up Alt+24, down Alt+25.
Why don’t double arrows have an Alt code?
Double and decorative arrows have Unicode values above 255, outside the Alt+numpad range. Use copy-paste or Word’s Alt+X.
How do I type an arrow in HTML?
Use → ← ↑ ↓ for the four basic directions, or numeric entities for any arrow.
Related symbols
Looking for something else? Browse 1,000+ copy-paste symbols, the full Alt Codes finder, or the emoji picker.