SymbolHub

Black Square (■)

The black square ■ is Unicode U+25A0, a solid filled black square used as a bullet point, media stop control or mathematical tombstone. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 254 on Windows.

Unicode
U+25A0
HTML
■
Windows
Alt + 254

How to type the black square (■)

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

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 254 on the numeric keypad. This older code (from code page 437) works in Notepad, Word and most desktop apps.
  2. In Word or Outlook, type 25A0 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  3. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Black Square, 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 black square and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 25A0.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 25a0, 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 ;blac. 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 25A0, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 25A0 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9632) 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 black square ■ (Unicode name BLACK SQUARE, U+25A0) is a fundamental geometric glyph located in the Geometric Shapes block since Unicode 1.1. It is widely recognized across multiple distinct disciplines, from higher mathematics to consumer electronics.

In mathematics and academic publishing, the black square is famously known as the Halmos tombstone, named after mathematician Paul Halmos. Placed at the right margin at the end of a mathematical proof, it signals that the proof is complete, replacing the traditional Latin abbreviation Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum). In audio and video interfaces, a solid square serves as the standard physical and digital icon for "Stop".

Common uses

  • Mathematical proofs: serving as the Halmos tombstone marker indicating proof completion
  • Media controls: representing the universal stop button on players and recording devices
  • Typesetting: acting as a distinctive, modern square bullet point in lists
  • Diagrams and keys: marking solid categorical zones on charts and architectural plans

Black Square 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+25A0
HTML decimal■
HTML hex■
CSS contentcontent: "\25A0";
JavaScript"\u25A0"
Python"\u25A0"
Python (by name)"\N{BLACK SQUARE}"
Java / C#"\u25A0"
UTF-8 bytesE2 96 A0
UTF-1625A0
URL encoded%E2%96%A0
Alt code (CP437)Alt + 254

■ 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
White Square
U+25A1		White square (U+25A1), outline version without fill.
Small Square
U+25AA		Black small square (U+25AA), a smaller square bullet point.
Large Square
U+2B1B		Black large square emoji (U+2B1B), displays as a full emoji block.
Square for Stop
U+23F9		Black square for stop (U+23F9), specifically designated as a media control character.

Symbols similar to ■

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

■ character properties

Official Unicode name
BLACK SQUARE
Also known as
solid square, black square symbol, filled square, stop symbol, tombstone
Code point
U+25A0
Unicode block
Geometric Shapes (U+25A0–U+25FF)
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

What does ■ mean at the end of a math proof?

It is the Halmos tombstone symbol, signifying the conclusion of a mathematical proof (equivalent to Q.E.D.).

What is the Windows alt code for the black square?

On Windows keyboards with a numeric keypad, hold Alt and type 254 (CP437) to insert ■.

What is the alt code for the black square?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 254 on the numeric keypad to get ■. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 25A0 then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the black square 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 “black square” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the black square?

■ 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 black square?

■ is U+25A0, officially named BLACK SQUARE, in the Geometric Shapes block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).