Left arrow

Meaning and uses

The standard left arrow. Use it for back links, for stepping back in a sequence, or to point at something written before it.

Unicode details

← is the Unicode character named LEFTWARDS ARROW, code point U+2190, in the Arrows block. It was added in Unicode 1.1 in 1993, and Unicode classes it as a maths symbol (general category Sm).

It is not an emoji, so it keeps the colour and size of the text around it.

Tap a code to copy it:

How to type ←

• On any device, tap the copy button above, then paste with a long press on a phone, Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac.
• In Microsoft Word on Windows, type 2190 and then press Alt+X to turn the code into ←.
• On a Mac, press Control+Cmd+Space to open the Character Viewer, then search for “leftwards arrow”.
• On Linux, most desktops accept Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2190, then Space or Enter.
• In HTML, use ← or ←. In a CSS content property, use "\2190".