HTML Entity for Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺)

Beginner
⏱️ 5 min read
📚 Updated: Jun 2026
🎯 1 Code Example
Unicode U+21FA
HTML entity for Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (U+21FA) — hex, decimal, and CSS tutorial

What You'll Learn

How to display the Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This symbol is U+21FA (LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH DOUBLE VERTICAL STROKE) in the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF)—a leftwards arrow with double vertical stroke, used in navigation, rewind-style UI, undo controls, and technical or diagrammatic content.

Render it with ⇺, ⇺, or CSS \21FA. There is no named HTML entity. Related: U+2190 (←, simple left arrow / ←), U+21FB (⇻, right arrow double vertical stroke).

⚡ Quick Reference — Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke

Unicode U+21FA

Arrows block

Hex Code ⇺

Hexadecimal reference

HTML Code ⇺

Decimal reference

Named Entity —

Use numeric codes only

Reference Table
Name           Value
────────────   ──────────
Unicode        U+21FA
Hex code       ⇺
HTML code      ⇺
Named entity   (none)
CSS code       \21FA
Meaning        Leftwards arrow with double vertical stroke
Related        U+2190 = left arrow (←)
               U+21FB = right arrow double vertical stroke (⇻)
1

Complete HTML Example

A simple example showing the Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape. There is no named HTML entity:

html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
 <style>
  #point:after{
   content: "\21FA";
  }
 </style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Symbol using Hexadecimal: &#x21FA;</p>
<p>Symbol using HTML Code: &#8698;</p>
<p id="point">Symbol using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself

🌐 Browser Support

The Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺) renders in modern browsers when the font includes Arrows block glyphs:

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

👀 Live Preview

Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺) in navigation and control contexts:

Back / rewind ⇺ Rewind
Navigation ⇺ Previous
Undo action ⇺ Undo
Large glyph ⇺
Arrow comparison ⇺ ← ↤ ⤝
Numeric refs &#x21FA; &#8698; \21FA

🧠 How It Works

1

Hexadecimal Code

&#x21FA; uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 21FA to display the left arrow with double vertical stroke. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.

HTML markup
2

Decimal HTML Code

&#8698; uses the decimal Unicode value 8698 to display the same character.

HTML markup
3

CSS Entity

\21FA is used in CSS stylesheets in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::after for navigation and control icons.

CSS stylesheet
=

Same visual result

All three methods produce ⇺. Unicode U+21FA is in the Arrows block. Next: Left Arrow Headless Double Tail.

✅

Use Cases

The Left Arrow Double Vertical Stroke (⇺) is commonly used in:

🗼 Navigation UI

Indicate “back,” “rewind,” or “previous” in app headers, toolbars, and navigation controls.

⏪ Media controls

Rewind or skip-back buttons in video, audio, or slideshow players.

↩ Undo / reverse

Represent undo, reverse, or “go back” in editors and action toolbars.

📄 Documentation

Document keyboard shortcuts, flow diagrams, or notation that uses this arrow.

⌨ Shortcut notation

Show key labels or shortcut hints where a double-stroke left arrow is required.

📱 App design

Distinct left-arrow style in buttons, steppers, or wizards that need a double-stroke variant.

💡 Best Practices

Do

  • Pair ⇺ with text (e.g., “Rewind” or “Back”) or aria-label for accessibility
  • Use fonts that support the Arrows block (U+21FA)
  • Set <meta charset="utf-8">
  • Add tooltips in UI so users understand rewind vs. simple back
  • Keep one numeric style (hex or decimal) per project
  • Use CSS content: "\21FA" for repeated decorative icons

Don’t

  • Expect a named HTML entity for U+21FA
  • Use CSS \21FA inside HTML text nodes
  • Confuse ⇺ with simple ← or ⤝ arrows
  • Rely on the symbol alone without context in critical UI
  • Use purely decorative arrows where a labeled button is clearer

Key Takeaways

1

Two HTML numeric references plus CSS for U+21FA

&#x21FA; &#8698;
2

For CSS, use \21FA in the content property

3

Unicode U+21FA — LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH DOUBLE VERTICAL STROKE

4

Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF) — no named entity

5

Previous: Left Arrow Black Diamond (⤝)   Next: Left Arrow Headless Double Tail

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Use &#x21FA; (hex), &#8698; (decimal), or \21FA in CSS content. There is no named entity. All three methods render ⇺ correctly.
U+21FA (LEFTWARDS ARROW WITH DOUBLE VERTICAL STROKE). Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF). Hex 21FA, decimal 8698. A leftwards arrow with double vertical stroke.
In navigation and back/rewind-style UI, media or playback controls, undo or reverse actions, technical documentation and diagrams, and any interface that indicates left direction with a double-stroke arrow.
HTML references (&#8698; or &#x21FA;) go in markup. The CSS escape \21FA is used in stylesheets, typically on ::before or ::after. Both produce ⇺.
Named entities cover common characters; arrow symbols with modifiers like the double vertical stroke (U+21FA) in the Arrows block use numeric hex (&#x21FA;) or decimal (&#8698;) codes. That is standard for such symbols in HTML.

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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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Left Arrow Black Diamond (⤝) Left Arrow Headless Double Tail