Open Box
U+2423Control Pictures
Copy and paste ␣. The Open Box character has Unicode code point U+2423 and decimal HTML code ␣.
Symbol codes
- Unicode
U+2423- HTML Code
␣- CSS Code
\2423- HTML Entity
␣- HEX Code
␣
Technical properties
Unicode 18.0.0
- Code point
- U+2423
- Decimal
- 9251
- Unicode name
- OPEN BOX
- Block
- Control Pictures · U+2400–U+243F
- General category
- Other Symbol (So)
- Script
- Common
- Introduced
- Unicode 1.1
- JavaScript
- "\u2423"
Appears in
About Open Box
␣ is encoded in Unicode as code point U+2423 (decimal 9251). Its official Unicode name is OPEN BOX.
It belongs to the Control Pictures block (U+2400–U+243F), its General Category is Other Symbol (So), and it was added in Unicode 1.1, released in 1993. Its script value is Common: it is shared across writing systems rather than belonging to one.
Sources: Unicode Character Database 18.0.0, the HTML Standard’s list of named character references, and Unicode’s code page mappings.
How to type or insert Open Box
- Any device
- Select Copy symbol, then paste with Ctrl+V, or ⌘+V on a Mac.
- Microsoft Word
- Type
2423, then press Alt+X. - macOS Character Viewer
- Press Control+⌘+Space and search for “open box”.
- Linux (GTK and IBus)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type
2423, then press Space. - HTML
␣or␣. In a UTF-8 page you can also paste the character itself.- CSS
content: "\2423";in a::beforeor::afterrule.- JavaScript
"\u2423"
Common questions about Open Box
What is the Open Box symbol?
␣ (Open Box) is a symbol in Unicode’s Control Pictures block. Its code point is U+2423, and it has been part of the standard since Unicode 1.1 (1993).
How do I copy and paste the Open Box symbol?
Select Copy symbol at the top of this page, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux or ⌘+V on a Mac. On a phone, tap Copy symbol, then touch and hold where you want it and choose Paste. ␣ pastes as ordinary text, so it works in documents, messages, and code.
How do I type the Open Box symbol on Windows?
In Microsoft Word, type 2423 and press Alt+X to turn the code into ␣. In any app, open Character Map from the Start menu, search for “open box”, then select and copy the character.
How do I type the Open Box symbol on a Mac?
Press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “open box”, and double-click the result to insert it.
How do I type the Open Box symbol on an iPhone or Android phone?
The simplest way is to copy it from this page and paste it where you need it. If you use it often, save it as a text shortcut: on iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement; with Gboard on Android, go to Gboard settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary.
Can I use the Open Box symbol in Word, Google Docs, and social media?
Yes. ␣ is a standard Unicode character, so you can paste it into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, emails, and posts or bios on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. In Google Docs you can also choose Insert > Special characters and search for “open box”. In Word, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set from to Unicode (hex), and enter 2423 as the character code.
Is the Open Box symbol an emoji?
No. ␣ is a text symbol, not an emoji. It takes the color and size of the surrounding text, and its exact shape depends on the font.
Why does the Open Box symbol show as a box or question mark?
An empty box or a question mark means the font on that device has no glyph for ␣. The character is still there: it appears correctly wherever a font covers Unicode’s Control Pictures block, and free font families such as Google Noto cover nearly all of Unicode.
What are the HTML and CSS codes for the Open Box symbol?
In HTML, write ␣ (decimal) or ␣ (hexadecimal), or the named entity ␣. In CSS, use content: "\2423"; in a ::before or ::after rule, and in JavaScript "\u2423". See all HTML codes.