Arrow symbols are versatile and widely used in various contexts like mathematics, physics, engineering, flowcharts, and presentations.
They can represent directions, movements, connections between points, or functions in mathematical equations.
In this article, I will show you some simple ways to insert the all the four Arrow symbols in Excel (↑ ↓ → ←)
Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Arrow Symbol in Excel
Below are the keyboard shortcuts to insert the Arrow symbol in Excel:
On Windows:
| Arrow Symbol | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| ↑ | ALT + 24 |
| ↓ | ALT + 25 |
| → | ALT + 26 |
| ← | ALT + 27 |
On Mac:
| Arrow Symbol | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| ↑ | Option + 2191 |
| ↓ | Option + 2193 |
| → | Option + 2192 |
| ← | Option + 2190 |
Inserting Arrow Symbol using Formula
Below are the formulas that you can use to insert the arrow symbols in Excel:
Formula to insert the Up arrow (↑):
=UNICHAR(8593)
Formula to insert the Down arrow (↓):
=UNICHAR(8595)
Formula to insert the Right arrow (→):
=UNICHAR(8594)
Formula to insert the Left arrow (←):
=UNICHAR(8592)
Inserting Arrow using the Symbol Dialog Box
To insert the Arrow symbol in Excel using the Symbol Dialog Box, follow these steps:
- Click on the cell where you want to insert the symbol.
- Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
- Click on Symbol in the Symbols group.
- In the Symbol dialog box, select Arrows from the Subset dropdown.
- Choose the arrow symbol you wish to insert.
- Click Insert, then close the Symbol dialog box.
Also read: Insert Checkmark (Tick Mark) Symbol in Excel
Copy and Paste the Arrow Symbol into Excel
You can also copy and paste the arrow symbol from websites on the web or from some other documents into Excel with a simple Control C and Control V.
Below, I have some of the commonly used arrow symbols that you can copy directly from this page and paste into Excel.
↑ ↓ → ← ↔ ↕
Insert Arrow Symbols in Excel Using Character Map in Windows
Inserting arrow symbols in Excel using the Character Map functionality in Windows is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can do it:
- First, open the Character Map on your Windows computer. You can do this by searching for “Character Map” in the Windows search bar.
- In the Character Map dialog box, enter the text “arrow” in the ‘Search for’ field and then click on Search. This will show you all the arrow symbols available in the Character map.
- Once you have found the arrow symbol you want to insert, click on it to select it. Then click the “Select” button to add it to the “Characters to copy” field. After that, click the “Copy” button to copy the symbol to your clipboard.
- Now, switch over to Excel and place your cursor in the cell where you want the arrow symbol to appear. Right-click and choose “Paste,” or simply use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V to paste the symbol.
- If needed, you can adjust the formatting of the symbol in Excel, such as changing the font size or color, to make it fit better with your data.
Remember that the availability of specific arrow symbols might vary slightly depending on the font you are using in the Character Map. If you can’t find the arrow you need in one font, try switching to a different font in the Character Map.
Below is a table that summarizes all the methods to insert the Arrow symbol in Excel:
| Method | How to Use |
|---|---|
| Keyboard Shortcut (Windows) | Press “ALT” followed by “24” for ↑, “25” for ↓, “26” for →, and “27” for ←. |
| Keyboard Shortcut (Mac) | Press “Option” followed by “2191” for ↑, “2193” for ↓, “2192” for →, and “2190” for ←. |
| Using Formula | Type =UNICHAR(8593) for ↑, =UNICHAR(8595) for ↓, =UNICHAR(8594) for →, and =UNICHAR(8592) for ← in a cell. |
| Symbol Dialog Box | Click on cell, go to Insert tab, click Symbol, select Arrows in Subset, choose arrow, click Insert, then close dialog box. |
| Copy and Paste | Copy arrow symbols (↑ ↓ → ← ↔ ↕) from a source and paste into Excel with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. |
| Character Map in Windows | Open Character Map, search “arrow”, select the desired arrow, click “Select”, then “Copy”, switch to Excel, and paste with Ctrl+V. |
So, these are some of the methods that you can use to quickly insert the arrow symbols in Excel.
I hope you found the Excel article helpful. In case you have any questions about this topic or any feedback for us, please do leave a comment below.
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