Unicode Character Explorer

Search, explore, and copy Unicode characters and symbols

All character exploration is done locally in your browser.

About Unicode Character Explorer

This free Unicode Character Explorer helps you search, browse, and copy Unicode characters, symbols, emojis, and special characters. With over 140,000 characters in the Unicode standard, finding the right symbol can be challenging - this tool makes it easy.

Search by character name, paste a character to see its details, or enter Unicode code points (like U+2192 or →). Browse by Unicode blocks to discover related characters. All processing is done locally in your browser for instant results.

Perfect for developers, designers, writers, and anyone who needs quick access to Unicode characters.

How to Use

  1. Search by name: Type keywords like "arrow", "heart", or "copyright" to find characters
  2. Search by character: Paste any character (like →, ©, or 🎉) to see its Unicode information
  3. Search by code: Enter Unicode code points in formats like:
    • U+2192 (Unicode notation)
    • → (HTML decimal entity)
    • → (HTML hexadecimal entity)
    • 0x2192 (hexadecimal)
    • 8594 (decimal)
  4. Browse by block: Select a Unicode block from the dropdown to see all characters in that range
  5. Copy characters: Click any character card to copy the character to clipboard
  6. View details: See Unicode code point, HTML entities, decimal/hex values, and character names

Features

  • Comprehensive Search: Search by character name, code point, or the character itself
  • Multiple Formats: Supports U+, &#, &#x, 0x, and decimal code point formats
  • Unicode Blocks: Browse characters organized by Unicode blocks
  • Character Details: View Unicode code, HTML entities, decimal/hex values, and names
  • One-Click Copy: Copy characters, code points, or HTML entities instantly
  • Visual Preview: Large character display for easy identification
  • Fast & Offline: Works completely in your browser without server requests
  • Mobile Friendly: Fully responsive design works on all devices

Privacy & Security

Your privacy is important. This tool processes all data entirely in your browser.

  • No data is sent to any server
  • No logging or tracking of your searches
  • Works completely offline after initial page load
  • Safe for exploring any Unicode character

Common Use Cases

  • Web Development: Find HTML entities and Unicode codes for special characters
  • Content Creation: Discover symbols, arrows, and decorative characters for documents
  • Social Media: Find emojis and special characters for posts and profiles
  • Design Work: Explore typographic symbols and special characters
  • Documentation: Find technical symbols, mathematical operators, and notation
  • Multilingual Content: Access characters from various writing systems
  • Programming: Look up Unicode code points for string handling
  • Accessibility: Find appropriate characters and learn their proper names

Key Terms & Concepts

Unicode

Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that assigns a unique number (code point) to every character, symbol, and emoji across all writing systems and languages. It enables consistent text representation across different platforms, devices, and applications.

Code Point

A code point is the unique numerical identifier assigned to each character in Unicode, typically written as U+XXXX where XXXX is a hexadecimal number. For example, U+0041 is the code point for the letter "A", and U+2192 is the rightward arrow "→".

Unicode Block

Unicode blocks are contiguous ranges of code points grouped by script, purpose, or theme. Examples include "Basic Latin" (U+0000–U+007F), "Greek and Coptic" (U+0370–U+03FF), and "Arrows" (U+2190–U+21FF). Blocks help organize the Unicode character space.

HTML Entity

HTML entities are text strings that represent Unicode characters in HTML/XML documents. They can be named (like © for ©) or numeric (like © for © or © for ©). They ensure characters display correctly regardless of document encoding.

UTF-8

UTF-8 is the most common Unicode encoding format used on the web. It represents each Unicode code point as a sequence of 1-4 bytes. UTF-8 is backward compatible with ASCII and efficiently encodes characters from all languages.

Character Category

Unicode assigns each character to a category that describes its general nature, such as Letter (L), Number (N), Punctuation (P), Symbol (S), Mark (M), Separator (Z), or Other (C). Categories help programs identify and process characters correctly.

BMP (Basic Multilingual Plane)

The BMP is the first 65,536 code points (U+0000 to U+FFFF) of Unicode, containing characters for most modern languages and many symbols. Characters outside the BMP are called supplementary characters and require special handling in some systems.

Examples

Example 1: Finding Arrow Symbols

Search: "arrow"

Results: → (U+2192 RIGHTWARDS ARROW), ← (U+2190 LEFTWARDS ARROW), ↑ (U+2191 UPWARDS ARROW), ↓ (U+2193 DOWNWARDS ARROW)

Use these arrows in documentation, UI design, or anywhere directional indicators are needed.

Example 2: Looking Up a Character

Search: © (paste the copyright symbol)

Result Details:

  • Unicode: U+00A9
  • HTML Entity: © or © or ©
  • Decimal: 169
  • Name: COPYRIGHT SIGN

Example 3: Finding Mathematical Symbols

Browse: Select "Mathematical Operators" block

Discover: ∑ (summation), ∫ (integral), ≈ (approximately equal), ≠ (not equal), ∞ (infinity), √ (square root)

Perfect for mathematical notation in documents or educational materials.

Example 4: Code Point Formats

All these formats refer to the same character (→):

  • U+2192 (Unicode notation)
  • → (HTML decimal)
  • → (HTML hexadecimal)
  • 0x2192 (programming hexadecimal)
  • 8594 (decimal number)

Important Notes

Font Support: Not all fonts include all Unicode characters. If you see a square box (□) or question mark (?), the character exists but your system font doesn't support it. The character will still copy correctly.
Browser Compatibility: Modern browsers support the full Unicode standard. Older browsers or systems may have limited support for newer Unicode characters, especially emojis and supplementary characters.
Right-to-Left Text: Some Unicode blocks contain right-to-left scripts (Arabic, Hebrew). These may appear reversed or cause layout issues depending on context. Use appropriate HTML directionality attributes when needed.
Combining Characters: Some Unicode characters are combining marks meant to modify other characters (like accents). These won't display correctly in isolation but work when following a base character.
Private Use Area: Unicode includes private use areas for custom characters. These have no standard appearance and will display differently on different systems or not at all.
Emoji Variations: Many emojis have multiple code points depending on skin tone, gender, or style. Some emojis are composed of multiple code points joined together (like family emojis).
Case Sensitivity: Unicode distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters as separate characters. "A" (U+0041) and "a" (U+0061) are different code points.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Unicode?

Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that assigns unique code points to every character, symbol, and emoji across all languages and writing systems. It enables consistent text representation across different platforms, devices, and applications worldwide.

How do I search for a Unicode character?

You can search in multiple ways: type descriptive keywords (like "heart" or "arrow"), paste the character itself to see its details, enter Unicode code points (U+2192), HTML entities (→), or browse by selecting a Unicode block from the dropdown menu.

What are Unicode code points?

Code points are unique numerical identifiers for each Unicode character, written as U+XXXX where XXXX is hexadecimal. For example, U+0041 is "A" and U+2192 is "→". Each of the 140,000+ Unicode characters has its own code point.

How do I use Unicode characters in my HTML?

Copy the character directly or use its HTML entity. Named entities like © work for common characters. Numeric entities like © (decimal) or © (hex) work for any character. Set your HTML charset to UTF-8 for direct character usage.

Why do some characters show as boxes or question marks?

Boxes or question marks indicate your current font doesn't include that character. The character still exists and will copy correctly. Install comprehensive fonts like "Noto Sans" or use font-family fallbacks to display more Unicode characters.

What's the difference between Unicode blocks?

Unicode blocks are contiguous ranges grouping related characters. "Basic Latin" contains English letters, "Arrows" contains arrow symbols, "CJK" contains Chinese/Japanese/Korean characters, etc. Blocks organize Unicode's 140,000+ characters into manageable categories.

Is my search data sent to any server?

No, all character exploration and searching happens entirely in your browser. Your searches and data never leave your device, making this tool completely private and safe.

Can I use Unicode characters in programming?

Yes, most modern programming languages support Unicode. Use the code point notation (e.g., \u2192 in JavaScript, \u{2192} in Python 3, or \x{2192} in Perl) or include characters directly in UTF-8 encoded source files. Check your language's Unicode documentation.

What are combining characters?

Combining characters are special Unicode characters that modify the preceding character, like accents or diacritical marks. For example, combining acute accent (U+0301) after "e" creates "é". They don't display correctly alone but combine with base characters.

How do I type Unicode characters on my keyboard?

Methods vary by system. Windows: Alt + numeric code. Mac: Option + character combinations or Character Viewer. Linux: Ctrl+Shift+U + hex code. Or copy from this tool and paste wherever needed.

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