Left White Arrow (⇦) is the Arrows-block character at Unicode U+21E6 (LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW). It is a hollow (outlined) left-pointing arrow — common in UI navigation.
Remember
Character ⇦
Unicode U+21E6
Hex entity ⇦
Decimal ⇦
Named entity (none)
CSS escape \21E6
Not the same ← (←)
Hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ⇦. Prefer ⇦ when you want an explicit entity.
Using Hex Code: ⇦
Using HTML Code: ⇦
Using CSS Entity: ⇦
Prev ⇦
How It Works
1. Hex:U+21E6 → ⇦ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⇦.
2. Decimal: same code point as 8678 → ⇦. Same result as hex.
3. Named: HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character — use hex or decimal instead.
4. CSS: use \21E6 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇦ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Left White Arrow.
Look-alikes
⇦ ≠ ←
U+21E6 is a white (hollow) leftwards arrow. ← (U+2190) is the standard filled form.
Named
No &…; name
Do not invent a name. Use ⇦ or ⇦.
Fonts
Glyph may be missing
White-arrow coverage varies. Test on your target devices or provide a fallback font.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\21E6 belongs in CSS. ⇦ / ⇦ belong in HTML.
A11y
Add nearby words
Pair the glyph with label text (for example Prev ⇦) or use aria-label when it stands alone.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ⇦, not ⇦.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Left White Arrow (U+21E6) and its entity forms (⇦, ⇦, CSS \\21E6) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Left White Arrow (⇦)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⇦ directly in UTF-8 HTML. No named entity.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+21E6Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ⇦ for readable HTML. Use \\21E6 only inside CSS content.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this symbol is U+21E6 (decimal 8678).
HTML: prefer ⇦ — or use ⇦. No named entity.
CSS: use \21E6 inside content for generated text.
Watch out:U+21E6 ≠ ← (U+2190).
One line:U+21E6 → ⇦ / ⇦ / CSS \21E6 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ⇦ (hex), ⇦ (decimal), or the CSS escape \21E6 in the content property. All render ⇦ when the font supports the Arrows block. There is no named HTML entity.
U+21E6 (LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW). Hex 21E6, decimal 8678. It belongs to the Arrows block (U+2190–U+21FF).
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+21E6. Use numeric references like ⇦ or ⇦.
Use it for navigation buttons, directional indicators, and UI labels when you want a hollow (white) leftwards arrow. Prefer numeric entities when encoding must be explicit.
HTML entities (⇦ or ⇦) go in markup. The CSS escape \21E6 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⇦.
← (U+2190) is the standard filled leftwards arrow. U+21E6 is LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW — an outlined/hollow style with a different code point.
🤔
Did you know?
Left White Arrow is Unicode U+21E6 (decimal 8678) — LEFTWARDS WHITE ARROW. HTML5 has no named entity — use ⇦ or ⇦. Do not confuse it with a plain filled ← (U+2190) or a black leftwards arrow from other blocks.
