SymbolHub

Backspace Symbol (⌫)

The backspace symbol ⌫ is Unicode U+232B, the keyboard symbol representing the Backspace or Delete key that erases text to the left of the cursor. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+232B
HTML
⌫
Word
232B Alt+X

How to type the backspace symbol (⌫)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ⌫ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 232B and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Erase to The Left, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for backspace and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 232B.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 232b, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ⌫ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;back. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ⌫ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 232B, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 232B in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “backspace” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9003) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⌫ or ⌫ in your HTML.

What does ⌫ mean?

The ⌫ symbol, designated in Unicode as ERASE TO THE LEFT (U+232B), is the iconic glyph for the Backspace key on PC keyboards and the Delete key on Apple Mac keyboards. Shaped like an outlined keycap tag containing an 'X' or leftward pointer, it clearly indicates deleting the character directly preceding the cursor. While Windows keyboards distinguish between Backspace (erase left) and Delete (forward erase), Mac notebooks label this key "delete" while printing ⌫ in menus. Pair it with the escape key symbol ⎋ and the enter key symbol ⏎ in our keyboard symbols index and mac keyboard symbols overview.

Common uses

  • Text editing: deleting typed characters immediately to the left of the text insertion point
  • Word deletion: pressing Option + Delete on Mac or Ctrl + Backspace on Windows erases entire preceding words
  • File management: moving highlighted documents to the Trash or Recycle Bin when combined with modifier keys
  • Browser navigation: functioning as a legacy shortcut to navigate back to the previous webpage

Backspace Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ⌫. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+232B
HTML decimal⌫
HTML hex⌫
CSS contentcontent: "\232B";
JavaScript"\u232B"
Python"\u232B"
Python (by name)"\N{ERASE TO THE LEFT}"
Java / C#"\u232B"
UTF-8 bytesE2 8C AB
UTF-16232B
URL encoded%E2%8C%AB

⌫ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ⌫ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Erase to The Right
U+2326		Erase to the right (forward delete), which deletes characters following the text cursor.
Broken Circle with Northwest Arrow
U+238B		Escape key symbol, a broken circle with an arrow indicating cancellation or abort.
Return Symbol
U+23CE		Return symbol, indicating carriage return and line creation rather than deletion.

Symbols similar to ⌫

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full keyboard symbols collection.

⌫ character properties

Official Unicode name
ERASE TO THE LEFT
Also known as
erase to the left, delete key symbol, mac delete symbol, backspace key, rubout symbol
Code point
U+232B
Unicode block
Miscellaneous Technical (U+2300–U+23FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

Why is Backspace called "Delete" on Mac laptops?

Apple has traditionally labelled its backspacing key "delete" since early Macintosh computers. On full-sized Mac keyboards with an extended cluster, a separate key labelled with a forward-delete icon ⌦ erases characters to the right.

How do I perform a forward delete on a compact laptop keyboard?

On a Mac notebook, hold Function (fn) and press Delete. On compact Windows laptops without a dedicated Delete key, hold Fn and press Backspace.

Is there an alt code for the backspace symbol?

No. ⌫ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 232B then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the backspace symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ⌫ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “backspace” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the backspace symbol?

⌫ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ⌫ or ⌫, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the backspace symbol?

⌫ is U+232B, officially named ERASE TO THE LEFT, in the Miscellaneous Technical block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).