Clockwise Open Circle Arrow
Reach for ↻ in flowcharts, diagrams and step-by-step interface copy, where a plain keyboard falls short. It is cataloged at Unicode code point U+21BB in the arrows set, so it renders the same real text character in every app that supports the font, not a pasted image.
| Symbol | ↻ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+21BB | |
| Name | Clockwise Open Circle Arrow | |
| HTML (decimal) | ↻ | |
| HTML (hex) | ↻ | |
| CSS content | \21BB | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u21BB | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xE2 0x86 0xBB | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x21BB |
How do you type the clockwise open circle arrow on each platform?
| Where | How to type it |
|---|---|
| Any device | Click the ↻ at the top of this page. It goes straight to your clipboard, and you paste it with Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac. This is the only method that behaves identically everywhere. |
| Windows | There is no short alt code for this character. Press Win and the full stop key to open the emoji and symbol panel, then use the symbols tab and search for clockwise open circle arrow. |
| macOS | Add Unicode Hex Input under Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 21BB. Without that input source, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for clockwise open circle arrow. |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 21bb, then press Enter or the space bar. This works in GTK applications and with IBus. |
| Microsoft Word | Type 21BB in the document, then press Alt and X together with the cursor immediately after the last digit. Word replaces the digits with ↻. |
| Google Docs | Insert, then Special characters, then paste U+21BB or type clockwise open circle arrow in the search box. You can also draw the shape in the sketch pad on the right. |
| Excel and Google Sheets | Use the formula UNICHAR(8635) in a cell. Copy the cell and paste it as a value if you want the character rather than the formula. |
| HTML | Write ↻ or ↻. There is no standard named entity for this character. On a page served as UTF-8 the character itself also works. |
| CSS | Use content: "\21BB" inside a ::before or ::after rule. Terminate the escape with a space if the next character is also a hexadecimal digit. |
| JavaScript | The escape \u21BB produces this character inside a string literal, and the same escape is valid in JSON. |
More detail per platform: Windows alt codes, special characters on a Mac, special characters in Word and HTML entities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the clockwise open circle arrow symbol?
Click the ↻ above or the copy button and it is placed on your clipboard. Paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. It is a real text character, so it works in documents, chats and code.
What is the Unicode code point for clockwise open circle arrow?
The clockwise open circle arrow has the Unicode code point U+21BB. In HTML you can write it as ↻ or ↻.
Can I use the clockwise open circle arrow symbol in HTML and CSS?
Yes. In HTML write ↻, and in CSS use content: "\21BB" inside a ::before or ::after rule. The code table on this page has copy buttons for both.
Related symbols
Browse the full arrow symbols hub, or return to the searchable symbol grid.