Biohazard symbol (☣)
U+2623 · BIOHAZARD SIGN · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type ☣
Windows
No Alt code
☣ is not in the Windows code pages 1252 or 437, so it has no Alt code. Use one of the methods below or copy it from this page.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
2623 Alt+X
Type 2623 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into ☣. Press Alt+X again to turn it back into the code.
Emoji and symbols panel (Windows 10 and 11)
Win+.
Press Win + full stop (.) to open the panel and type “biohazard symbol” to find ☣.
No numeric keypad on your laptop? See the other ways in our Alt codes guide.
Mac
Character Viewer
Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Space
Press Ctrl+⌘+Space (or the Globe key + E), search for “biohazard symbol” and click ☣ to insert it.
iPhone
Emoji keyboard
Open the emoji keyboard, tap the search field and type “biohazard symbol” to find ☣.
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into ☣ once and type it in any app:
- Copy ☣ from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste ☣ as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;biohazard.
- Now type ;biohazard anywhere: the keyboard suggests ☣.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into ☣:
- Copy ☣ from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste ☣ as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;biohazard.
- Type ;biohazard in any app and tap ☣ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 2623 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2623 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ☣ means and how it is used
☣ is the biohazard symbol, designed in 1966 at Dow Chemical to warn of biological hazards in labs and hospitals. It is meant to be memorable but meaningless at first sight, so it must be learned. Its cousin ☢ marks radiation. Both appear on lab doors, waste bins and transport labels worldwide.
Biohazard symbol (☣) is the Unicode character U+2623, officially called BIOHAZARD SIGN. It is in the Miscellaneous Symbols block and has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
People also call it or search for it as: sign.
On this site it is part of the signs (80 symbols), next to ⚠ ♻ ⚕ ☮ ☯.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML decimal | ☣ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ☣ | |
| CSS | content: "\2623"; | |
| JavaScript | \u2623 | |
| URL | %E2%98%A3 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 98 A3 | |
| Unicode | U+2623 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
Very likely yes: ☣ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.
Checking your device…
Names in other languages
What ☣ is called in the 12 languages of this site (Unicode CLDR and our editors). Tap a name to open that language's page.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Biohazard symbol |
| Português | Símbolo de risco biológico |
| Español | Símbolo de riesgo biológico |
| Italiano | Simbolo rischio biologico |
| Français | Symbole risque biologique |
| Deutsch | Biogefährdungszeichen |
| Türkçe | Biyolojik tehlike sembolü |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol bahaya biologis |
| Polski | Symbol zagrożenia biologicznego |
| Русский | Знак биологической опасности |
| 日本語 | バイオハザードマーク |
| 한국어 | 생물학적 위험 기호 |
Related symbols
All Signs →Questions people ask
How do I type ☣ on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick ☣ in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 2623 and press Alt+X.
How do I type ☣ on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for ☣. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;biohazard.
What is the HTML code for the biohazard symbol?
There is no named entity; use ☣ or ☣. In CSS write \2623, in JavaScript \u2623.
Will ☣ show on every phone?
Very likely yes: ☣ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.