U+21E5
Rightwards Arrow To Bar
- HTML
⇥- Unicode
U+21E5- CSS
\21E5
The rightwards arrow to bar (⇥) is Unicode U+21E5, HTML ⇥.
This is the glyph keyboard diagrams use for the Tab key, an arrow stopped by a bar to suggest a jump to the next stop. Pair it with the matching left-pointing arrow-to-bar for a shift-tab hint. 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+21E5 in the arrows set, so it renders the same real text character in every app that supports the font, not a pasted image.
Render test
Checking whether this device has a font that can draw ⇥.
| Symbol | ⇥ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+21E5 | |
| Name | Rightwards Arrow To Bar | |
| HTML (decimal) | ⇥ | |
| HTML (hex) | ⇥ | |
| CSS content | \21E5 | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u21E5 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xE2 0x87 0xA5 | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x21E5 |
Source: Unicode Character Database. Code point verified as assigned in Unicode 17.0. Last updated . Report an error
How do you type the rightwards arrow to bar on each platform?
Find your platform in the first column.
| 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 alt code for this character, because it is in neither Windows-1252 nor code page 437. Press Win and the full stop key to open the emoji and symbol panel, then use the symbols tab and search for rightwards arrow to bar. Typing the decimal code point, 8677, after Alt is not a dependable alternative: many programs read numbers above 255 against the old code page and type a different character. |
| macOS | Add Unicode Hex Input under Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 21E5. Without that input source, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for rightwards arrow to bar. |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 21e5, then press Enter or the space bar. This works in GTK applications and with IBus. |
| Microsoft Word | Type 21E5 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+21E5 or type rightwards arrow to bar 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(8677) 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: "\21E5" inside a ::before or ::after rule. Terminate the escape with a space if the next character is also a hexadecimal digit. |
| JavaScript | The escape \u21E5 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 rightwards arrow to bar symbol?
Press the Copy ⇥ button at the top of this page, or click the large ⇥, 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 rightwards arrow to bar?
The rightwards arrow to bar has the Unicode code point U+21E5. In HTML you can write it as ⇥ or ⇥.
Is the rightwards arrow to bar an emoji or a text character?
It is a plain Unicode text character, not an image or an emoji sticker. That means the ⇥ inherits the surrounding font, size and color wherever you paste it, and it works in places emoji often do not, such as usernames, file names and code.
Related symbols
Browse the full arrow symbols hub, or return to the searchable symbol grid.