Arrow Symbols (→ ← ↑ ↓ ⇒ ⇔): Meaning and How to Type Them

An arrow symbol (→, ←, ↑, ↓) points from one thing to another: it shows direction, movement, or the result of a step. In mathematics the single arrow → marks a limit or a function between sets, the double arrow ⇒ means "implies," ⇔ means "if and only if," and ↦ shows what an individual input is sent to, while programmers read -> and => as "returns" or "goes to."

Below you will find every common arrow character ready to copy, what each one means, and the keystrokes that produce them on Windows, Mac, iPhone, HTML, and LaTeX.

Copy and Paste Arrow Symbols

Select any arrow and copy it:

• → ← ↑ ↓ — single arrows, right, left, up, down (U+2192, U+2190, U+2191, U+2193)
• ↔ ↕ — left-right and up-down arrows (U+2194, U+2195)
• ⇒ ⇐ ⇔ ⇑ ⇓ — double arrows (U+21D2, U+21D0, U+21D4, U+21D1, U+21D3)
• ↦ — maps-to arrow (U+21A6)
• ↗ ↘ ↖ ↙ — diagonal arrows (U+2197, U+2198, U+2196, U+2199)
• ⇌ — equilibrium harpoons (U+21CC)

The Arrow Symbol Explained

An arrow is a line with a head at one end, and the head carries the meaning: it tells the reader where to look next or what a statement leads to. The ASCII shortcuts -> and => are the same idea drawn with a hyphen or equals sign and a greater-than sign.

Three visual features change the meaning:

1. Direction. Right (→) is the default for "goes to"; left (←) reverses the relationship.
2. Number of shafts. A single shaft (→) describes a mapping, limit, or motion. A double shaft (⇒) is reserved for logical consequence.
3. Decorations. A bar at the tail (↦) means "this element is sent to," a hook (↪) marks an inclusion, a wave (⇝) marks a rewrite step, and paired harpoons (⇌) mark a reversible reaction.

Meanings and Uses of Arrows

Limits and Functions (→)

The single right arrow has two jobs in calculus and algebra. In a limit it shows the variable approaching a value: as x → 0, sin x / x → 1. Between sets it declares the domain and codomain of a function, as in f: ℝ → ℝ. The maps-to arrow describes the rule itself, so a complete definition reads f: ℝ → ℝ, x ↦ x². Mixing them up is a common error: → joins sets, ↦ joins an element to its image.

Implication and Equivalence (⇒ and ⇔)

The double right arrow is the implication sign. Writing x > 2 ⇒ x² > 4 states that whenever the left side is true, the right side must be true. Reverse it (⇐) and you have "is implied by." The two-headed double arrow ⇔ asserts both directions at once and is read "if and only if," often shortened to "iff": n is even ⇔ n² is even. Proofs often use the long forms ⟹ and ⟺ to make a chain of reasoning easier to scan.

Chemistry (→ and ⇌)

A reaction arrow separates reactants from products: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O. Reversible reactions use a pair of half-headed harpoons, as in N₂ + 3H₂ ⇌ 2NH₃, to show that both directions run.

Programming (-> and =>)

Languages borrowed the arrow long before Unicode made the glyph easy to type: -> declares a return type in Rust, Python type hints, and PHP, and accesses a member through a pointer in C and C++; => introduces an arrow function in JavaScript, a lambda in C#, and a key-value pair in PHP and Ruby; <- is assignment in R. Outside code, ↑ and ↓ show increases and decreases in reports (revenue ↑ 12%), and ↗ and ↘ show trends.

Which Arrow for What

How to Type Arrow Symbols

Other entities: ← ←, ↑ ↑, ↓ ↓, ↔ ↔, ⇐ ⇐, ⇔ ⇔, and ⇌ ⇌.

Windows: The four basic arrows have low Alt codes inherited from the IBM PC character set (code page 437): hold Alt and type 24 (↑), 25 (↓), 26 (→), or 27 (←) on the numeric keypad; Alt + 29 gives ↔. They work in Word and browsers but not in every application. For double or decorated arrows, type the hex code in Word and press Alt + X, or open the emoji panel with Windows + . and use its Symbols tab. Word also replaces --> with →, <-- with ←, ==> with ⇒, and <=> with ⇔ as you type.

Mac: macOS has no Option-key shortcut for arrows on the standard US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search "arrow," and double-click the one you need, or add a text replacement (-> to →) under System Settings > Keyboard.

iPhone and Android: Neither stock keyboard offers arrows on a long-press. On iOS, map -> to → under Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement; on Android, Gboard's Personal dictionary does the same. Otherwise copy from the list at the top of this page.

Arrows in LaTeX

Every arrow in the tables above is a math-mode command. \to and \rightarrow are identical, as are \gets and \leftarrow; \implies and \iff come from amsmath and add wider spacing suited to logic. amsmath also provides \xrightarrow{text} and \xleftarrow[below]{above}, which stretch to fit a label, plus the long forms \longrightarrow and \Longrightarrow. amssymb supplies \leadsto, \rightleftarrows, and the dashed \dashrightarrow.

1\documentclass{article}
2\usepackage{amsmath}
3\usepackage{amssymb}
4\usepackage{textcomp}
5\begin{document}
6Limits and functions:
7\[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{1}{n} = 0, \qquad f\colon \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, \quad x \mapsto x^2 \]
8
9Logic:
10\[ x > 2 \implies x^2 > 4, \qquad p \iff q, \qquad a \Leftarrow b \]
11
12Labelled and long arrows (amsmath):
13\[ A \xrightarrow{\;f\;} B \xleftarrow[\text{below}]{\text{above}} C, \qquad X \longrightarrow Y \Longrightarrow Z \]
14
15Chemistry, embeddings, and trends:
16\[ \mathrm{N_2 + 3H_2 \rightleftharpoons 2NH_3}, \qquad U \hookrightarrow V, \qquad
17   a \nearrow \quad b \searrow, \qquad x \leadsto y \]
18
19Text mode: press \textrightarrow{} to continue or \textleftarrow{} to go back.
20\end{document}
Copy

In running text, \textrightarrow and \textleftarrow print arrows without math mode; they came from textcomp and have been part of the LaTeX kernel since 2020. For drawings, TikZ attaches arrowheads to any path with options such as \draw[->] or -{Stealth} from its arrows.meta library, and mhchem turns -> and <=> inside \ce{} into reaction arrows.

Related Symbols

What Does the Arrow Symbol Mean in Math?

It depends on the shaft count. A single arrow → describes approach or mapping: x → a in a limit, or f: A → B for a function. A double arrow ⇒ is the implication sign, so P ⇒ Q reads "P implies Q," and ⇔ reads "P if and only if Q." The barred arrow ↦ sends a specific element to its image.

What Is the Difference Between → and ⇒?

The single arrow relates objects (numbers, sets, states), while the double arrow relates statements: "x → 3" says a quantity approaches 3, whereas "x = 3 ⇒ x² = 9" says one assertion forces another.

How Do I Type an Arrow on a Keyboard?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 26 for →, 27 for ←, 24 for ↑, or 25 for ↓ on the numeric keypad; in Word, type 2192 followed by Alt + X, or let AutoCorrect convert -->. On a Mac, use the Character Viewer or a text replacement. In HTML write →, and in LaTeX write \rightarrow.

Writing Arrows Cleanly in Your Documents

Pick the arrow by meaning, not by looks: \to for limits and function types, \mapsto for the rule, \implies and \iff for logic, and \xrightarrow{} when the arrow needs a label. Octree, the AI LaTeX editor at useoctree.com, autocompletes each of these commands and shows the compiled arrow beside your source, so a stray \Rightarrow in a limit gets caught before a reviewer sees it. Browse the full set with code points and commands at https://tools.useoctree.com/symbols/arrows.