Arrow Symbol Alt Codes

Arrows are the legacy exception

Every arrow Alt code is a legacy code — no leading zero, tiny numbers: Alt+26 for →, Alt+24 for ↑. That's because arrows never made it into Windows-1252; these codes reach back to the DOS-era CP437 character set, where positions 24–29 were arrow glyphs. They still work in most Windows applications today, which is a small miracle of backwards compatibility — but "most" is doing some work in that sentence. If Alt+26 does nothing in your app, it's the app, not you.

The reliable alternatives

• HTML: → ← ↑ ↓ — named entities, work everywhere.
• Word: type 2192 then Alt+X for →, or just let AutoCorrect turn --> into an arrow.
• Windows emoji panel: Win+., then the symbols tab.
• Mac: no Option shortcut for arrows — Ctrl+Cmd+Space opens the Character Viewer; search "arrow".

Single vs double

The single arrow → (RIGHTWARDS ARROW) points, links, and labels. The double arrow ⇒ (RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW) carries logical weight: mathematicians read it as "implies", and ⇔ as "if and only if". Use the one that means what you mean — proofs are picky.

Symbol data last reviewed: July 9, 2026.