Up Down Arrow with Base ↨

↨ (U+21A8) 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: Up Down Arrow with Base 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: The character UP DOWN ARROW WITH BASE has the code point U+21A8 in the Unicode standard. It belongs to the Arrows block and uses the Common script. In plain use, the symbol appears as an arrow that points up or down with a base line. The usage shows it can indicate direction, orientation, or toggling actions in interfaces. Arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents. In practice, designers place it where users must choose a vertical direction or reset a vertical control. The symbol is simple and recognizable across devices and fonts. It serves alongside other arrows to convey a flow and a switch between options. When users see it, they expect a vertical choice or a binding to a vertical control. Readers can copy the symbol, but the meanings depend on the context. This character is part of a family of arrows used in text and UI. It remains a stable symbol for indicating up or down with a base reference.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+21A8 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.