Shift key symbol (⇧)
U+21E7 · UPWARDS WHITE ARROW · 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
21E7 Alt+X
Type 21E7 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, go to the Symbols tab (Ω) and pick ⇧.
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 “shift key symbol” and click ⇧ to insert it.
iPhone
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 ;shift.
- Now type ;shift 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 ;shift.
- Type ;shift in any app and tap ⇧ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 21e7 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 21e7 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ⇧ means and how it is used
Shift key symbol (⇧) is the Unicode character U+21E7, officially called UPWARDS WHITE ARROW. It is in the Arrows block and has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
People also call it or search for it as: arrow, hollow, upwards.
On this site it is part of the technical and keyboard symbols (120 symbols), next to ⌀ ℡ ⌘ ⌥ ✉.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML decimal | ⇧ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ⇧ | |
| CSS | content: "\21E7"; | |
| JavaScript | \u21E7 | |
| URL | %E2%87%A7 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 87 A7 | |
| Unicode | U+21E7 |
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 | Shift key symbol |
| Português | Símbolo da tecla Shift |
| Español | Símbolo de la tecla Mayús |
| Italiano | Simbolo tasto Maiusc |
| Français | Symbole touche Maj |
| Deutsch | Umschalttaste-Zeichen (Shift) |
| Türkçe | Shift tuşu sembolü |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol tombol Shift |
| Polski | Symbol klawisza Shift |
| Русский | Значок клавиши Shift |
| 日本語 | シフトキー記号 |
| 한국어 | 시프트 키 기호 |
Related symbols
All Technical →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 21E7 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 ;shift.
What is the HTML code for the shift key symbol?
There is no named entity; use ⇧ or ⇧. In CSS write \21E7, in JavaScript \u21E7.
Will ⇧ show on every phone?
Very likely yes: ⇧ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.