SymbolHub

Caps Lock Symbol (⇪)

The caps lock symbol ⇪ is Unicode U+21EA, the keyboard symbol indicating the capitals lock toggle key. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+21EA
HTML
⇪
Word
21EA Alt+X

How to type the caps lock 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 21EA 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 Upwards White Arrow From Bar, 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 caps lock and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 21EA.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 21ea, 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 ;caps. 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 21EA, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 21EA in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8682) 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 as UPWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM BAR in Unicode (U+21EA), indicates the Caps Lock key on computer keyboards and password entry fields. The horizontal bar beneath the arrow represents a physical locking shelf, inspired by mechanical typewriters that physically latched the carriage in an elevated position. Unlike the momentary shift key symbol ⇧, Caps Lock toggles persistent capitalisation for letter keys without changing number or punctuation characters.

Modern operating systems display ⇪ inside password inputs to alert users when accidental capitalisation is enabled. On classic UNIX terminals and keyboards favored by programmers, this position was occupied by Control, leading many developers to remap Caps Lock to Control or Escape today. Learn more about keyboard layout functions in our keyboard symbols directory and mac keyboard symbols overview.

Common uses

  • Password input warnings: operating systems show ⇪ as an alert when Caps Lock is accidentally active
  • Keyboard keycaps: printed directly on Caps Lock keys on Apple and international ISO keyboards
  • Typing uppercase text: entering sequences of capitalized acronyms or headings without holding Shift

Caps Lock 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+21EA
HTML decimal⇪
HTML hex⇪
CSS contentcontent: "\21EA";
JavaScript"\u21EA"
Python"\u21EA"
Python (by name)"\N{UPWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM BAR}"
Java / C#"\u21EA"
UTF-8 bytesE2 87 AA
UTF-1621EA
URL encoded%E2%87%AA

⇪ 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
Upwards White Arrow
U+21E7		Shift key symbol, which lacks the bottom horizontal locking bar and operates as a momentary modifier.
Upwards Triple Arrow
U+290A		Upwards triple arrow, a distinct mathematical symbol.
Upwards Arrow to Bar
U+2912		Upwards arrow to bar, where the bar is positioned at the top rather than the bottom.

Symbols similar to ⇪

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

⇪ character properties

Official Unicode name
UPWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM BAR
Also known as
caps lock, capitals lock symbol, upwards white arrow from bar, all caps symbol
Code point
U+21EA
Unicode block
Arrows (U+2190–U+21FF)
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 the bar under the ⇪ arrow mean?

The horizontal bar at the base of the arrow symbolises a mechanical latch or lock, representing the locking mechanism from early typewriters that kept the shift carriage locked in place.

Does Caps Lock affect numbers and punctuation?

No, on standard QWERTY keyboards Caps Lock only converts lowercase letters to uppercase. To access punctuation marks on the number row, you must hold the Shift key.

Is there an alt code for the caps lock 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 21EA then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

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

What is the HTML code for the caps lock 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 caps lock symbol?

⇪ is U+21EA, officially named UPWARDS WHITE ARROW FROM BAR, in the Arrows block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).