Click any key symbol to copy it. These are the characters that represent physical keys: modifiers, editing keys, navigation keys, and media controls.
No symbols match this search.
Write modifiers in the order they are pressed and leave no spaces between them: ⌘⇧P, ⌥⌫, ⌃⇥. On Apple platforms that matches what the system prints in its own menus, so a reader can compare your documentation against the software directly. Cross-platform writing needs more care. ⌘ and ⌥ mean nothing on Windows or Linux, so spell out Ctrl and Alt there, or use ❖ for the Windows key and accept that it is a convention rather than a standard. Beyond hardware, the media set doubles as state notation: ⏺ for recording, ⏸ for paused, ⏹ for stopped, ⏏ for a clean exit. In a log file or a dashboard built from plain text, one of these replaces a coloured badge you cannot render anyway.
Describe shortcuts inline without screenshots. A table of ⌘K, ⌘⇧P, and ⌥⌫ stays readable, searchable, and translatable in a way an image never is.
Show the shortcut next to a menu item or button. The symbols match what the operating system displays, so users recognise them without a legend.
Markdown has no shortcut formatting. Pasting the key glyphs keeps instructions compact in a file that has to render everywhere from GitHub to a terminal.
Telling someone to press ⌘⌥I is shorter and less ambiguous than naming three keys in prose, especially when the reply is going into a chat window.
The media set doubles as state: ⏺ recording, ⏸ paused, ⏹ stopped, ⏏ ejected. One character replaces a coloured badge in plain-text output.
Most symbols here work everywhere, but rare or decorative characters may not render on older devices and apps with limited fonts. Test a symbol on mobile before using it in a permanent username.
| Symbol | Name | Code | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⌘ | Place of Interest Sign | U+2318 | Command key on Apple keyboards |
| ⌥ | Option Key | U+2325 | Option or Alt on Apple keyboards |
| ⌃ | Up Arrowhead | U+2303 | Control key |
| ⇧ | Upwards White Arrow | U+21E7 | Shift key |
| ⇪ | Upwards White Arrow From Bar | U+21EA | Caps Lock |
| ⌫ | Erase to the Left | U+232B | Backspace |
| ⌦ | Erase to the Right | U+2326 | Forward delete |
| ⎋ | Broken Circle With Northwest Arrow | U+238B | Escape |
| ⇥ | Rightwards Arrow to Bar | U+21E5 | Tab forward |
| ⏎ | Return Symbol | U+23CE | Return or Enter |
| ␣ | Open Box | U+2423 | Space bar |
| ⏻ | Power Symbol | U+23FB | Power on and off |
| ⏏ | Eject Symbol | U+23CF | Eject media |