Leftwards Dashed Arrow ⇠

⇠ (U+21E0) 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: Leftwards Dashed 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: The LEFTWARDS DASHED ARROW (U+21E0) is a symbol in the Arrows block with the Common script. In practice, it shows a leftward direction with a dashed line style. Users see it in diagrams, forms, and navigation hints where a move to the left is intended. The character belongs to the set of arrows used to indicate flow, choice, or back action. It does not stand alone as a letter or word; it functions as a directional cue. In text, arrows help readers scan layouts and understand sequence or hierarchy. The two usage notes reference how arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents. They also remind us that punctuation marks structure text and convey tone, with usage conventions that differ by style and locale. This means the symbol can carry functional meaning in some keyboards, fonts, and systems while appearing as a decorative or clarifying mark in others. When used, designers align it with surrounding symbols to avoid misreadings. Overall, the symbol merges function with form and fits into both technical and everyday writing where direction matters.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+21E0 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.