SymbolHub

White Square (□)

The white square □ is Unicode U+25A1, an unfilled outline of a square used in geometry, modal logic and technical diagrams. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+25A1
HTML
□
Word
25A1 Alt+X

How to type the white square (□)

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 25A1 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 White 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 white square and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 25A1.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 25a1, 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 ;whit. 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 25A1, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 25A1 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9633) 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 white square □ (Unicode name WHITE SQUARE, U+25A1) is an open geometric polygon defined in the Geometric Shapes block since Unicode 1.1. Characterized by clean outlines and an empty center, it plays prominent roles in logic, linguistics, and drafting.

In modal logic, the white square operator (commonly called "box") denotes necessity: the expression □P states that proposition P is necessarily true across all possible worlds (the dual of the possibility lozenge ◊). In linguistic glossing and philology, □ is sometimes used to indicate an illegible or missing character in ancient manuscripts.

Common uses

  • Modal logic: representing the necessity operator (□P: "it is necessary that P")
  • Technical flowcharts: designating basic data containers and process blocks
  • Typography: serving as an open outline bullet point for sub-items in lists
  • Philology and transcription: marking lacunae or damaged sections in manuscripts

White 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+25A1
HTML entity (named)□
HTML decimal□
HTML hex□
CSS contentcontent: "\25A1";
JavaScript"\u25A1"
Python"\u25A1"
Python (by name)"\N{WHITE SQUARE}"
Java / C#"\u25A1"
UTF-8 bytesE2 96 A1
UTF-1625A1
URL encoded%E2%96%A1

□ 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
Ballot Box
U+2610		Ballot box (U+2610), proportioned specifically for forms and checklists.
Square
U+25A0		Black square (U+25A0), the solid filled counterpart.
White Large Square
U+2B1C		White large square emoji (U+2B1C), graphic emoji version.

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
WHITE SQUARE
Also known as
empty square, square outline, hollow square
Code point
U+25A1
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 is the difference between □ and ☐?

While both look like hollow squares, ☐ (ballot box) is designed for forms and checkboxes, whereas □ (white square) is a pure geometric symbol aligned for mathematical and logical operators.

How do I type □ on Windows?

In Word, type 25A1 and press Alt + X. You can also copy it from this page.

Is there an alt code for the white square?

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 25A1 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

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

What is the HTML code for the white square?

Use the named entity □ or the numeric reference □ (hex □). All three display □ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the white square?

□ is U+25A1, officially named WHITE SQUARE, in the Geometric Shapes block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).