Broken Circle with Northwest Arrow ⎋

⎋ (U+238B) 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: Broken Circle with Northwest Arrow is part of the Symbols family (block: Miscellaneous Technical). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.

History & usage: BROKEN CIRCLE WITH NORTHWEST ARROW is the symbol with code point U+238B in the Miscellaneous Technical block. It combines a broken circle with a northwest-pointing arrow. The character belongs to a set used for technical and specialized notation. In practice, symbols from this block appear in diagrams, charts, and lists that support technical reading. The safety of its use rests on clear context and consistent meaning. The provided usage note describes a general purpose: arrows commonly indicate direction and navigation cues in interfaces and documents. This aligns with how such symbols guide readers when they move through technical material or follow procedural steps. In history, these symbols were created to offer compact marks that convey instruction without language. Users recognize the arrow as a pointer toward a path, edge, or reference. When designers include it, they usually accompany it with other signs or textual labels. The result is a familiar cue for navigation or orientation in manuals, diagrams, and interfaces. This helps readers interpret complex information efficiently and with confidence.

Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+238B 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.