HTML Entity for Down Two Headed Arrow (↡)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+21A1
HTML entity for Down Two Headed Arrow (U+21A1) — hex, decimal, and ↡ tutorial

What You'll Learn

How to display the Down Two Headed Arrow (↡) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, the named entity ↡, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+21A1 (DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW) in the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF)—a downwards arrow with two heads, often used in mathematical notation, flowcharts, navigation, and technical content.

Render it with ↡, ↡, ↡, or CSS escape \21A1. Do not confuse ↡ (capital D, U+21A1) with ⇓ (⇓, double down, U+21D3) or ↓ (↓, single down, U+2193).

⚡ Quick Reference — Down Two Headed Arrow

Unicode U+21A1

Arrows block

Hex Code ↡

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ↡

Decimal reference

Named Entity ↡

HTML5 named entity (Darr, capital D)

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+21A1
Hex code       ↡
HTML code      ↡
Named entity   ↡
CSS code       \21A1
Related        U+2193 = Down arrow (↓); U+21D3 = Double down (⇓)
1

Complete HTML Example

This example demonstrates the Down Two Headed Arrow (↡) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity ↡, and a CSS content escape:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\21A1";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Down Two Headed Arrow using Hexadecimal: &#x21A1;</p>
<p>Down Two Headed Arrow using HTML Code: &#8609;</p>
<p>Down Two Headed Arrow using HTML Entity: &Darr;</p>
<p id="point">Down Two Headed Arrow using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

U+21A1 is widely supported in modern browsers when rendered with a font that includes Arrows:

Chrome 1+
Firefox 1+
Safari 1+
Edge 12+
Opera 4+
Android 4.4+
iOS Safari 1+

👀 Live Preview

See the Down Two Headed Arrow (↡) in navigation and UI contexts:

Large glyph ↡
Scroll cue Scroll down ↡
Flowchart Step 2 ↡ Step 3
vs double down ↡ two-headed   ⇓ double
Named entity &Darr; → ↡
All HTML refs &#x21A1; &#8609; &Darr;

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x21A1; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 21A1 to display the Down Two Headed Arrow. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8609; uses the decimal Unicode value 8609 to display the same character.

HTML markup
3

Named HTML Entity

&Darr; is the HTML5 named entity for U+21A1 (DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW). It is easy to read in source and resolves to ↡.

HTML markup
4

CSS Entity

\21A1 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All four methods produce: ↡. Unicode U+21A1. Double down: &dArr; (⇓). Serve HTML as UTF-8.

✅

Use Cases

The Down Two Headed Arrow (↡) is commonly used in:

📜 Navigation

Scroll down, expand, or “more below” in menus, headers, and links.

👁 Visual cues

Signal scroll down, continue reading, or emphasis on downward action.

💻 UI elements

Buttons, sort controls (descending), and interactive features.

∑ Math notation

Bidirectional or two-headed downward relations in math and logic.

📊 Flowcharts

Indicate downward flow or expand/collapse in process and logic diagrams.

♿ Accessibility

Hint at scroll or down movement when paired with labels or aria-label.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Use &Darr; for readable markup, or &#x21A1; / &#8609;
  • Add aria-label when the symbol means scroll down, expand, or move downward
  • Pair ↡ with a tooltip or label when meaning may not be obvious
  • Use \21A1 in CSS ::before / ::after for sort or scroll icons
  • Serve pages with UTF-8 (<meta charset="utf-8">)

Don’t

  • Confuse &Darr; (↡, two-headed) with &dArr; (⇓, double down)
  • Confuse &Darr; with &darr; (↓, single down)
  • Put CSS escape \21A1 in HTML text nodes
  • Rely on the symbol alone in accessibility-critical UIs
  • Assume decorative fonts include all Arrows glyphs

Key Takeaways

1

Named entity available: &Darr;

&#x21A1; &#8609;
2

For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property

\21A1
3

Unicode U+21A1 — DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW

4

Not &dArr; (⇓) or &darr; (↓) — different entities

5

Four methods, one glyph — widely supported in modern browsers

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x21A1; (hex), &#8609; (decimal), &Darr; (named entity), or \21A1 in CSS content. All produce ↡.
U+21A1 (DOWNWARDS TWO HEADED ARROW). Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF). Hex 21A1, decimal 8609. A two-headed downward arrow.
In mathematical notation, flowcharts and diagrams, navigation and UI, technical documentation, and any content where a two-headed downward arrow is needed.
&Darr; is easier to read in source than &#8609; or &#x21A1;, but all produce ↡. The CSS escape \21A1 is used in stylesheets in the content property of pseudo-elements.
&Darr; is the named HTML entity for the Downwards Two Headed Arrow (↡, U+21A1). The capital D distinguishes it from &dArr; (⇓, double down) and &darr; (↓, single down). All three are valid HTML5 arrow entities for different glyphs.

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About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
  • Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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