SymbolHub

Gear Symbol (⚙)

The gear symbol ⚙ is Unicode U+2699, the cog used for settings and engineering. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+2699
HTML
⚙
Word
2699 Alt+X

How to type the gear 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 2699 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “gear”.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for gear and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2699.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2699, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Open the emoji keyboard and search for “gear” to insert ⚙️, the colour emoji. For the plain text ⚙, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ⚙ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;gear. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. In Gboard, tap the emoji key and search for “gear” to insert ⚙️. For the plain text ⚙, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ⚙ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2699, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2699 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9881) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⚙ or ⚙ in your HTML.

What does ⚙ mean?

⚙ is a gear or cogwheel. In software it is the near-universal icon for settings and preferences, and in text it signals engineering, mechanics or “how it works” sections. Unicode names it simply GEAR. When you use it as a label in an interface, pair it with the word “Settings” so screen readers and new users understand it.

Common uses

  • Menu labels: ⚙ Settings
  • Engineering and maker content
  • Changelog headings: ⚙ Improvements

Gear 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+2699
HTML decimal⚙
HTML hex⚙
CSS contentcontent: "\2699";
JavaScript"\u2699"
Python"\u2699"
Python (by name)"\N{GEAR}"
Java / C#"\u2699"
UTF-8 bytesE2 9A 99
UTF-162699
URL encoded%E2%9A%99

⚙ 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
Gear Without Hub
U+26ED		Gear without hub, a flatter cog outline.
Wrench
U+1F527		Wrench emoji, for tools and repairs.
Gear
U+2699 U+FE0F		The emoji form, drawn as a grey metallic gear.

Symbols similar to ⚙

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

  • Details
  • Details
  • Details

⚙ character properties

Official Unicode name
GEAR
Also known as
settings symbol, cog symbol, cogwheel
Code point
U+2699
Unicode block
Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 4.1 (2005)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
Has an emoji form: ⚙️ (add U+FE0F)

Frequently asked questions

What does the gear symbol mean?

It usually means settings or preferences in apps, and more broadly engineering, machinery or configuration.

Is there an alt code for the gear 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 2699 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

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

What is the HTML code for the gear 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 gear symbol?

⚙ is U+2699, officially named GEAR, in the Miscellaneous Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 4.1 (2005).