HTML Entity for Up Down Double Arrow (⇕)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+21D5

HTML Entity for up down double arrow (U+21D5) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is Up Down Double Arrow?

Up down double arrow (⇕) is the Unicode character at U+21D5 in Arrows. Official name: UP DOWN DOUBLE ARROW — a thick bidirectional vertical arrow used for toggles, resize cues, and emphasized up/down navigation.

Remember

Character     ⇕
Unicode       U+21D5
Named entity  &vArr;  (capital A)
Hex entity    &#x21D5;
Decimal       &#8661;
CSS escape    \21D5
Not the same  ↕ · ⇑ · ⇓

Prefer &vArr; in HTML markup — the capital A matters. Numeric forms and typing ⇕ in UTF-8 also work. For a single-stroke up-down arrow, use &varr; (↕) instead.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&vArr;`	HTML markup (preferred)
Direct character	`⇕`	HTML text (UTF-8)
Hex entity	`⇕`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`⇕`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\21D5`	Stylesheet `content`
Single up-down (related)	↕ (U+2195)	Named `&varr;` (lowercase)

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Double up-down arrow (emphasized)	`&vArr;` or type `⇕`
Single up-down arrow	↕ (`&varr;`)
Up double arrow only	⇑ (`&uArr;`)
Down double arrow only	⇓ (`&dArr;`)
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\21D5"`

See it

Live Preview

Up down double arrow rendered alone and next to related arrows.

Large glyph ⇕

Notation Toggle ⇕

Compared ⇕ | ↕ | ⇑

Hint Compare: Double ⇕ | Single ↕ | Up double ⇑

With entities Named: ⇕ | Hex: ⇕ | Decimal: ⇕

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows the symbol with named, hex, decimal, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed

Five ways to produce ⇕, plus a short label example.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Up Down Double Arrow (⇕)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\21D5";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &vArr;</p>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x21D5;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#8661;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
  <p>Typed directly: ⇕</p>
  <p>Label: Toggle &vArr;</p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &vArr; (capital A) is the clearest HTML form for U+21D5. Lowercase &varr; is a different character (↕).

2. Hex: U+21D5 → ⇕ in HTML. Same glyph as the named entity.

3. Decimal: same code point as 8661 → ⇕. Same glyph as hex and named.

4. CSS: use \21D5 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⇕ after the paragraph text.

5. Typed / label: paste ⇕ in UTF-8, or write Toggle &vArr; for a short UI label.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with U+21D5.

Case

&vArr; ≠ &varr;

&vArr; → ⇕ (double). &varr; → ↕ (single). Entity names are case-sensitive.

vs ⇑

Not up-only double

⇑ (&uArr;) points up only. ⇕ has heads on both ends of a vertical double shaft.

vs ⇓

Not down-only double

⇓ (&dArr;) points down only. Use it when the direction is downward, not bidirectional.

Fonts

Needs Arrows coverage

Most fonts include this common arrow. If a UI font omits it, fall back to a symbols-capable stack.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\21D5 belongs in CSS strings. &vArr; / ⇕ / ⇕ belong in HTML.

A11y

Name the action in context

Screen readers may announce this unevenly. Prefer nearby plain-language text such as “toggle” or “resize vertically” when the arrow carries meaning.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Up down double arrow (U+21D5) and its entity forms (&vArr;, ⇕, ⇕, CSS \\21D5) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Visible glyphs depend on Arrows font coverage.

✓ Universal support

Up Down Double Arrow (⇕)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, CSS escape, or type the character — same code point everywhere encoding is supported.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer All versions

Yes

U+21D5 / &vArr; Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &vArr; (capital A) in HTML. Use \\21D5 only inside CSS content. Do not confuse with &varr; (↕).

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: up down double arrow is U+21D5 (decimal 8661) — glyph ⇕.
HTML: prefer &vArr; (capital A) — also ⇕ / ⇕.
CSS: use \21D5 inside content for generated text.
Meaning: ⇕ is double bidirectional — not ↕ (&varr;), not ⇑ (&uArr;).

One line: U+21D5 → &vArr; / ⇕ / ⇕ / CSS \21D5.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display ⇕ in HTML?

Use &vArr; (named), ⇕ (hex), ⇕ (decimal), type ⇕ directly in UTF-8, or the CSS escape \21D5 in content. Prefer &vArr; in normal HTML.

What is the Unicode value for up down double arrow?

U+21D5 (UP DOWN DOUBLE ARROW). Hex 21D5, decimal 8661. It belongs to Arrows (U+2190–U+21FF).

Is there a named HTML entity for U+21D5?

Yes. Use &vArr; (or &Updownarrow;). Numeric forms ⇕ and ⇕ also work. Note: &varr; (lowercase) is a different arrow (↕).

Is ⇕ the same as ↕ or ⇑?

No. ⇕ is U+21D5 (&vArr;, double). ↕ is U+2195 (&varr;, single). ⇑ is U+21D1 (&uArr;, up double only).

When should I use &vArr;?

Use it for emphasized bidirectional vertical cues — toggles, resize handles, or strong up/down navigation — not as a substitute for the single ↕.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+21D5?

HTML entities (&vArr;, ⇕, or ⇕) go in markup. The CSS escape \21D5 goes in stylesheet strings (usually content on ::before/::after).

Did you know?

Up down double arrow is Unicode U+21D5 (decimal 8661) — glyph ⇕ in Arrows (U+2190–U+21FF). HTML5 names it &vArr; (also &Updownarrow;). Official name: UP DOWN DOUBLE ARROW. Do not confuse with single up-down arrow U+2195 (&varr;, ↕) — entity names are case-sensitive.

Next: Up Down White Arrow

Learn the HTML entity for white up-down arrow (U+21F3).

Continue tutorial →

About the author

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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HTML Entity | Up Down Arrow Base HTML Entity | Up Down White Arrow