U+2800, the blank most name fields accept. Its code point, HTML entity, how to type it, and why validators let it through.
Click to copy: it looks blank, but a real character sits between these buttons · U+2800
Need more than this one? Browse the full set in Invisible Characters →
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | ⠀ (renders blank) |
| Unicode code point | U+2800 |
| Unicode name | BRAILLE PATTERN BLANK |
| Unicode block | Braille Patterns |
| Category | Special character |
U+2800 isn't a whitespace character at all: it comes from Unicode's Braille Patterns block, which encodes all 256 possible combinations of an 8-dot Braille cell. One of those 256 combinations is "no dots raised": the blank pattern. Because it's classified as an ordinary printable symbol rather than whitespace, it behaves completely differently from characters actually designed to be invisible, like the zero-width space.
That distinction is exactly why it became the go-to trick for blank names on Instagram, Discord, and games: most apps trim leading and trailing whitespace and reject a field that ends up empty afterward: a real space, tab, or zero-width space (U+200B) typically gets caught by that check. U+2800 slips through because validation code sees "a character," not "empty space," even though it renders with no visible marks. The technique spread through social-media tips rather than any formal design intent, but it remains reliable specifically because of this Unicode technicality.
Which apps accept a blank name changes with app updates, so we keep one dated table, platform by platform, on the invisible character page. It sits next to the other blanks to try when this one is refused.
| Method | Input |
|---|---|
| Windows (Word) | Type 2800 then press Alt+X |
| Mac | No shortcut. Copy it from this page |
| HTML entity | ⠀ (no short named entity) |
| CSS content | content: "\2800" |
⠀ is one of several zero-width and blank characters in the full invisible character library.
Browse Invisible Characters →It's used to set a blank-looking name, bio, or message on apps that don't allow a genuinely empty field: Instagram display names, Discord nicknames, and game usernames are the most common uses. Pasting it into a name field satisfies the "not empty" requirement while showing nothing visible.
Most apps automatically trim leading/trailing spaces and reject fields left blank after trimming. U+2800 isn't classified as whitespace at all: it's technically the "blank" pattern from the Braille Patterns Unicode block, a real printable symbol that simply happens to render with no visible dots. Validation code that strips actual whitespace or true zero-width characters usually leaves it alone.
There's no simple keyboard shortcut on Windows or Mac: the easiest way is to copy it directly from a reference page like this one, or use the Alt+X hex method in Word (type 2800, then press Alt+X).