Symbol Picker
Browse and copy non-keyboard symbols, special characters, arrows, math symbols.
About this tool
Stop Googling 'degrees symbol' or 'em dash keyboard shortcut.' The Symbol Picker puts hundreds of special characters at your fingertips — click to copy, then paste anywhere.
How the Symbol Picker works
The Symbol Picker organizes Unicode special characters into six categories: Arrows, Math Symbols, Currency Symbols, Punctuation and Misc, Box Drawing, and Stars and Shapes. Browse each category to find the symbol you need, click it to copy to your clipboard, and paste it into any application or web page.
How to use this tool
- Select a symbol category from the dropdown — Arrows, Math, Currency, Punctuation, Box Drawing, or Stars and Shapes.
- Browse the symbols displayed for that category.
- Click any symbol to copy it to your clipboard.
- Paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V) anywhere you need it.
Common use cases
Finding the right arrow (→, ⇒, ↓) for a tutorial or documentation
Inserting special punctuation (—, –, …, «») into writing
Adding currency symbols (₹, €, £, ¥) to financial content
Creating plain-text tables with box drawing characters (┌─┐│└─┘)
Examples
- Arrows: → (right), ← (left), ↑ (up), ↓ (down), ⇒ (double right), ↔ (bidirectional).
- Math: ≤ (less than or equal), ≥ (greater than or equal), ≠ (not equal), √ (square root), ∞ (infinity).
- Punctuation: — (em dash), – (en dash), … (ellipsis), «» (guillemets).
Tips & best practices
- Em dash (—) is used for breaks in thought — like this — in formal writing. It is wider than a hyphen (-).
- Use × (multiplication sign, not letter 'x') for dimensions: 4×6 photo, not 4x6.
- Box drawing characters only render correctly in monospaced fonts — use them in terminals, code editors, and Markdown code blocks.
- Most symbols work universally. If a symbol shows as an empty box, the application or font does not support that Unicode character.
Common mistakes to avoid
❌ Using a hyphen (-) instead of an em dash (—) or minus sign (−) — these are different characters with different purposes and widths.
❌ Using the letter 'x' instead of the multiplication sign (×) for dimensions.
❌ Pasting box drawing characters into proportional fonts — they will misalign and look broken.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use these symbols?
Click any symbol to copy it to your clipboard, then paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V) into any text field, document, or application.
Do these symbols work everywhere?
Most Unicode symbols work in all modern applications, browsers, and operating systems. Some very specialized or recent symbols may not display on older systems.
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