What ⬾ means
Its precise mathematical role depends on the notation around it.
A 2007 Unicode discussion links this arrow set to requests from mathematicians, especially STIX, a project for fonts used in mathematical typesetting.
Mathematical; its shape can vary with the active font because it is rendered as text.
What it means when someone sends it to you
2 readingsInside a mathematical formula
A specialized math arrow; surrounding symbols and rules determine its exact role.
In a casual message
As of 2026, it has no established general chat meaning; ask the sender what they intend.
Don't confuse it with
1Questions people ask
1Why does ⬾ show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
How to type ⬾
Windows (Word)
Alt+XType 2B3E, then Alt+X to get ⬾.
Windows
Win+Rrun charmap for the full table, or use the emoji picker's Ω symbols tab (Win + .).
macOS
Control+Command+SpaceOpen the character viewer and search “leftwards arrow through x”.
Linux
Ctrl+Shift+UType 2b3e, then Enter or Space.
HTML
⬾CSS
\2B3ECodes and encoding1 code points
HTML decimal
⬾
HTML hex
⬾
CSS content
content: "\2B3E";
Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.
URL encoded
%E2%AC%BE
1
On screen
1
Code points
1
JS .length
3
UTF-8 bytes
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.