Left Right Arrow (↔) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+2194 (LEFT RIGHT ARROW). It is a horizontal two-way arrow pointing both left and right.
Remember
Character ↔
Unicode U+2194
Hex entity ↔
Decimal ↔
Named entity ↔ · ↔
CSS escape \2194
Not the same ⇔ (⇔) · ← (←) · ↮ (↮)
All of these produce the same glyph: ↔. Prefer ↔ or ↔ when you want an explicit entity.
Using Hex Code: ↔
Using HTML Code: ↔
Using Named Entity: ↔
Using CSS Entity: ↔
A ↔ B
How It Works
1. Hex:U+2194 → ↔ in HTML. The browser turns it into ↔.
2. Decimal: same code point as 8596 → ↔. Same result as hex.
3. Named:↔ and ↔ are the HTML5 names for this character.
4. CSS: use \2194 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ↔ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Left Right Arrow.
Look-alikes
↔ ≠ ⇔ ≠ ←
↔ (single), ⇔ (double), and one-way ← are different characters.
Name
↔ ≠ ⇔
Case matters: lowercase harr is single; capital H in ⇔ is the double arrow.
Fonts
Glyph may be missing
Arrows-block coverage is usually good, but still test on your target devices.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2194 belongs in CSS. ↔ / ↔ / ↔ belong in HTML.
A11y
Add nearby words
Pair the glyph with relation text (for example A ↔ B) or use aria-label when it stands alone.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ↔, not &harr.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Left Right Arrow (U+2194) and its entity forms (↔, ↔, ↔, ↔, CSS \\2194) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Left Right Arrow (↔)
Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ↔ directly in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+2194 / ↔Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ↔ or ↔ for readable HTML. Use \\2194 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this symbol is U+2194 (decimal 8596).
HTML: prefer ↔ / ↔ — or use ↔ / ↔.
Use ↔ or ↔ (named), ↔ (hex), ↔ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2194 in the content property. You can also type ↔ directly in UTF-8 HTML.
U+2194 (LEFT RIGHT ARROW). Hex 2194, decimal 8596. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).
Yes. ↔ and ↔ are both HTML5 named entities. You can also use ↔ or ↔.
Use it for bidirectional relations, navigation, and diagrams that need a horizontal two-way arrow. Prefer ↔ or ↔ for readable HTML.
HTML entities (↔, ↔, or ↔) go in markup. The CSS escape \2194 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ↔.
⇔ / ⇔ (U+21D4) is the double left-right arrow. ← (U+2190) is a single left arrow. ↔ (U+2194) is the single-stroke left-right arrow.
🤔
Did you know?
Left Right Arrow is Unicode U+2194 (decimal 8596) — LEFT RIGHT ARROW. HTML5 provides ↔ and ↔. Prefer a named form for readable source. Do not confuse it with the double form ⇔ / ⇔ (U+21D4) or the negated form ↮ (U+21AE).
