What ← means and how to type it — click to copy.
Click to copy · U+2190
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Character | ← |
| Unicode code point | U+2190 |
| Unicode name | LEFTWARDS ARROW |
| Unicode block | Arrows |
| Category | Arrow symbol |
← belongs to Unicode's dedicated Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF), one of the original blocks included in Unicode 1.0 in 1991 — a sign of how essential directional notation already was in technical typesetting. As the mirror of →, it's used in math and computer science wherever a relationship needs to point the other way, such as assignment notation (x ← 5) or reversed set mappings.
Informally, ← reads as "back," "previous," or "return to" — the same role the back button plays in a browser, just written as a character.
| Platform | Works? |
|---|---|
| Instagram bio / caption | Yes |
| Discord | Yes |
| TikTok display name | Yes |
| Yes | |
| Roblox / PlayStation / Xbox username | No — alphanumeric only |
| Method | Input |
|---|---|
| Windows Alt code | Alt+27 |
| Mac | No dedicated combo — Character Viewer or copy from this page |
| HTML entity | ← or ← |
| CSS content | content: "\2190" |
← is one of dozens of directional and decorative arrows in the full arrow symbols library.
Browse Arrow Symbols →← is the mirror of →, used for reversed mapping or implication in math and logic (B ← A), and informally for "back," "previous," or "return to."
On Windows, hold Alt and type 27 on the numeric keypad (Alt+27). On Mac, there's no dedicated Option-key combo — copy it from a reference page or use the Character Viewer. In HTML, use the entity ← or ←.