How to use the Character Map in Windows

The Character Map Windows utility (charmap.exe) has been built into Microsoft Windows for over three decades. It allows you to inspect every glyph in every installed font, copy rare symbols, and discover the exact Alt code or Unicode hex value for any character.

By Sudarshan BabarUpdated September 30, 20263 min read

1. How to open Character Map in Windows

Character Map is installed by default on every version of Windows, including Windows 11, Windows 10, 8, and 7. You can launch it using several quick methods:

Run dialog: Press Win + R, type charmap, and press Enter. This is the fastest way.
Start menu search: Press the Windows key, type “Character Map”, and press Enter.
Command Prompt / PowerShell: Type charmap into any terminal prompt to open the application window instantly.

2. Basic interface and copying glyphs

When Character Map opens, you see a straightforward grid displaying the characters supported by the currently selected font. To use a character:

Select your desired font from the Font dropdown menu at the top. For standard typography, keep Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. For mathematical and scientific symbols, choose Segoe UI Symbol or Cambria Math.
Click on any character to see a magnified preview box.
Double-click the character (or click the Select button) to add it to the “Characters to copy” text box at the bottom.
Click the Copy button. The glyph is now in your Windows clipboard, ready to paste into any document, email, or browser window with Ctrl + V.

3. How to look up Alt codes and Unicode values

Character Map is the best built-in tool for discovering the exact keystrokes for symbols:

Look at the bottom-right corner of the Character Map window. When you click on a character that belongs to the Windows-1252 character set, the status bar displays the exact keystroke to type it. For example, selecting the degree symbol displays Keystroke: Alt+0176. Selecting the copyright symbol displays Keystroke: Alt+0169.

If the character is outside the legacy code page, the status bar instead displays its official Unicode hexadecimal number in the bottom-left corner, such as U+2260: Not Equal To. You can use this hex code with Word’s Alt + X shortcut or our Unicode character lookup tool.

4. Using Advanced View to search by name

By default, Character Map shows hundreds of characters in a dense grid, which can make locating specific symbols tedious. Check the box labeled Advanced view at the bottom of the window to reveal four powerful filtering tools:

Search for: Type a keyword like “arrow”, “heart”, “check”, “delta”, or “fraction” and click Search. Character Map filters the grid to display only matching characters.
Group by: Open the dropdown menu and select Unicode Subrange. A secondary floating window appears listing organized subsets: Arrows, Box Drawing, Currency Symbols, Mathematical Operators, Dingbats, and Geometric Shapes. Clicking any subrange isolates those symbols immediately.
Character set: Switch between Unicode, Windows: Western, DOS: United States (Code Page 437), and other international code pages to inspect which characters belong to specific legacy encodings.

5. Selecting the right font for symbols

Not all fonts contain the same characters. If you browse Arial or Calibri, you will find common European accents, basic punctuation, and a few math symbols. For deep Unicode coverage on Windows, switch to these specialized fonts:

Segoe UI Symbol: The most comprehensive symbol font included with Windows, containing thousands of technical glyphs, chess pieces, arrows, and geometric forms.
Segoe UI Emoji: Contains the complete color and black-and-white emoji library used across Windows.
Cambria Math: The definitive font for advanced calculus, set theory, and academic notation.
Wingdings and Webdings: Legacy dingbat fonts from the 1990s. Note: avoid using Wingdings on websites because modern web browsers and non-Windows devices will fail to display them correctly; use standard Unicode symbols from SymbolHub instead.

6. Modern alternatives in Windows 11

While Character Map remains rock-solid, Microsoft introduced the Emoji & Symbols panel (Win + .) in Windows 10 and 11. The modern panel supports live search, animated GIFs, kaomoji, and categorized symbol trays without requiring a separate desktop utility. Read our guide on typing emoji on Windows, or explore our complete Alt code chart.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open Character Map in Windows?

Press Win + R, type charmap, and press Enter. You can also search "Character Map" in the Start menu.

How do I search for a symbol in Character Map?

Check the "Advanced view" box at the bottom, type your search term (such as "arrow" or "degree") into the "Search for" field, and click Search.

Where does Character Map show the Alt code?

Select the character and look at the bottom-right corner of the window. If the character has a Windows-1252 alt code, it displays "Keystroke: Alt+0XXX".

Why do Wingdings symbols show up as letters when I paste them?

Wingdings is a legacy non-Unicode font that maps symbols to standard Latin letter keys. When pasted into modern apps, the font resets to Arial, revealing the underlying letters. Use standard Unicode symbols instead.