Downwards Paired Arrows ⇊

⇊ (U+21CA) 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: Downwards Paired Arrows 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: DOWNWARDS PAIRED ARROWS is a symbol in the Arrows block used in many writing systems. In Unicode it is listed as U+21CA. The character shows two arrows pointing down and side by side. It is part of the Common script, so it appears in multiple languages and contexts. In practice, people use it to show a direction or a move to a lower area, such as a step in a list or a link to the next section. Designers and writers also use these arrows in interfaces to suggest a collapse or a fold, or to indicate a flow that continues downward. The symbol is helpful when space is tight, because the paired arrows convey direction without extra text. It can accompany labels, buttons, or instructions to guide users clearly. Although the exact shape may vary by font, the meaning remains the same: a downward move or a pairing of paths. In history, arrows have long served as simple cues, and this variant keeps that tradition in modern documents and screens.

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