What is Text Symbols?
Text Symbols is a copy-and-paste library of Unicode characters: stars, check marks, arrows, currency signs, math operators, music notes, and punctuation like the copyright and degree signs. Click any symbol to copy it, then paste it into a document, message, spreadsheet, or code. Everything runs in your browser.
Text Symbols
Browse and copy 80+ Unicode symbols: stars, checks, arrows, currency, math, music, and more.
TLDR
Browse 80+ Unicode symbols organized by use case. Search by description (heart, arrow, star, etc.). Click any to copy.
About text symbols
Text symbols are Unicode characters that are not letters, digits, or emoji: arrows, check marks, the degree and copyright signs, currency symbols, mathematical operators, and music notes. Unlike emoji, they render in a single color and scale with the font around them, so they slot into a sentence, a heading, a code comment, or a spreadsheet cell without looking like an image.
Unicode assigns every one of these a permanent code point, so a check mark or a rupee sign is the same character on every platform. The grid above is a curated set of the most useful and widely supported symbols. Click one to copy it; there is nothing to install, and nothing you do leaves the browser.
How copying a symbol works
Each cell holds one Unicode code point, written as U+XXXX. Clicking copies that character to your clipboard. How it looks afterward depends only on the font on the device showing it, not on this page.
character = code point (U+2713 = check mark) display = code point rendered by the device font fallback = a box (tofu) if the font lacks that glyph copy = the code point copies regardless of how it looks
- Code point: the universal identity, identical on every device and operating system.
- Font glyph: the shape a given font draws. The same arrow can look slightly different across fonts.
- Encoding: save and send as UTF-8 so the symbol survives copy, paste, and file transfer intact.
Worked example: a tidy feature list
You want a checklist in a chat message or a README without using emoji. From the grid above:
- Copy the check mark and paste it before each included item: a clean monochrome tick.
- Copy the cross mark for items you do not offer.
- Use the right arrow to show a flow, for example "draft then review then ship".
- Paste a degree or currency sign where a measurement or price needs one.
Symbol categories at a glance
| Category | Examples | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows | left, right, up, down, double | Flows, navigation, before/after |
| Checks and crosses | tick, cross, ballot box | Checklists, status, comparison tables |
| Currency | rupee, euro, pound, yen, cent | Prices, invoices, finance copy |
| Math | multiply, divide, plus-minus, not-equal | Formulas in plain text fields |
| Stars and bullets | star, dot, diamond, bullet | Ratings, list markers, accents |
| Punctuation marks | degree, copyright, trademark, section | Legal text, units, references |
Common mistakes and pitfalls
- Confusing a symbol with an emoji. The star and the heart exist as both. The text-symbol version stays monochrome; the emoji version turns colorful. Pick the one that matches your design.
- Using a rare glyph that turns into a box. Stick to widely supported symbols for public content, and preview on the target platform before relying on an unusual one.
- Encoding loss in CSV or code. If a symbol becomes a question mark after saving, the file was not written as UTF-8. Set the encoding and re-save.
- Breaking accessibility. A screen reader may read the multiplication sign as "times" or skip a bullet. Do not encode essential meaning in a symbol alone.
- Treating math symbols as a layout engine. Unicode math operators are fine inline, but they cannot stack fractions or align equations; use a real math renderer for that.
Related text tools
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a text symbol and an emoji?
A text symbol is a monochrome Unicode character (like the check mark, arrow, or degree sign) that takes the color and size of surrounding text. An emoji is a separate code point that most platforms render as a full-color picture. Symbols look like punctuation; emoji look like images.
How do I type a symbol like the degree or copyright sign without this tool?
On Windows you can hold Alt and type a numeric code (Alt+0176 for the degree sign), on macOS many symbols have shortcuts (Option+G for copyright), and on phones you long-press a related key. Copying from a catalog like this is faster when you do not remember the code.
Will these symbols display the same on every device?
Common symbols (arrows, math operators, currency, stars) are well supported and render almost everywhere. Rarer glyphs can show as an empty box on devices whose font lacks them. The character still copies correctly; it just cannot be drawn on that screen.
Can I use text symbols in code, file names, or spreadsheets?
Yes, since they are normal Unicode characters. They work in most modern editors and apps that accept UTF-8. Be cautious in identifiers and file names, where some systems restrict non-ASCII characters, and in CSV files, where encoding must be UTF-8 to avoid garbled output.
Are math symbols here the same as LaTeX math?
They are the plain Unicode versions, such as the multiplication sign, plus-minus, and not-equal. They display in any text field without a math renderer, but they are not a substitute for LaTeX when you need full equations with fractions, integrals, and alignment.