North West Arrow ↖

↖ (U+2196) 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: North West 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: NORTH WEST ARROW is a symbol in the Arrows block. It has the code point U+2196 and is part of the Common script. This character is used in simple displays and diagrams where a diagonal movement is shown from bottom right to top left. In everyday use, it helps readers understand direction while navigating content. The character's design blends a vertical and a horizontal line with a pointed head at the end, making its intent clear at small sizes. The North West Arrow appears in many fonts and systems, and it keeps its shape across platforms. Its main purpose remains signaling a direction to move toward a previous area or to indicate a return path in maps, layouts, and interfaces. Arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents. The symbol works alone or with other arrows to guide users through steps, menus, or flows. Since it lives in a standard set, designers can rely on its familiar meaning without extra explanation. When read aloud, it feels like a concise cue for movement back through content.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2196 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.