What ▷ means
It points forward to the next step. Copy it from the palette above as a light outline play marker when ▶ feels too heavy. In a formula, read it technically instead.
Why does it suggest play?
The short answer to why does the triangle mean play is that right-pointing triangles became the start cue on tape and film controls in the 1960s, following tape direction. That habit belongs to the whole play-sign family, not to this exact outline character.
Neutral and functional; typographic, not expressive or chatty.
Do not treat ▷ as the solid play symbol ▶.
What it means when someone sends it to you
2 readingsTriangle in a math formula
A formal relation or restriction, not a request to start playback.
Beside a title or list item
A light cue for play, forward, or continue.
Don't confuse it with
1Questions people ask
1Is this hollow triangle a play button?
No. It can suggest play in text, but it is a text triangle, not a tappable media button. Use ▶ when you mean press play.
How to type ▷
Windows (Word)
Alt+XType 25B7, 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 “white right-pointing triangle”.
Linux
Ctrl+Shift+UType 25b7, then Enter or Space.
HTML
▷CSS
\25B7Codes and encoding1 code points
HTML decimal
▷
HTML hex
▷
CSS content
content: "\25B7";
Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.
URL encoded
%E2%96%B7
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.