White Square
U+25A1Geometric Shapes
Also known as white square symbolempty boxhollow squareempty squareoutline square
Copy and paste □. The White Square character has Unicode code point U+25A1 and decimal HTML code □.
Symbol codes
- Unicode
U+25A1- HTML Code
□- CSS Code
\25A1- HTML Entity
□- HEX Code
□
Technical properties
Unicode 18.0.0
- Code point
- U+25A1
- Decimal
- 9633
- Unicode name
- WHITE SQUARE
- Block
- Geometric Shapes · U+25A0–U+25FF
- General category
- Other Symbol (So)
- Script
- Common
- Introduced
- Unicode 1.1
- JavaScript
- "\u25A1"
About White Square
The white square is an outlined, empty square. It is used as a placeholder, a list marker, or a simple box in plain text.
□ is encoded in Unicode as code point U+25A1 (decimal 9633). Its official Unicode name is WHITE SQUARE.
It belongs to the Geometric Shapes block (U+25A0–U+25FF), 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.
Common uses
- Drawing empty boxes in plain-text checklists and forms
- Marking a blank or placeholder position
- Building borders and shapes in text art
Examples
- Checklist item
- □ Buy tickets
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 White Square
- Any device
- Select Copy symbol, then paste with Ctrl+V, or ⌘+V on a Mac.
- Microsoft Word
- Type
25A1, then press Alt+X. - macOS Character Viewer
- Press Control+⌘+Space and search for “white square”.
- Linux (GTK and IBus)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type
25a1, then press Space. - HTML
□or□. In a UTF-8 page you can also paste the character itself.- CSS
content: "\25A1";in a::beforeor::afterrule.- JavaScript
"\u25A1"
Common questions about White Square
What is the White Square symbol?
The white square is an outlined, empty square. It is used as a placeholder, a list marker, or a simple box in plain text. In Unicode it is U+25A1, officially named WHITE SQUARE. It is also known as white square symbol, empty box, hollow square, and empty square.
What is the difference between □ and ⬜?
□ is a text symbol that takes the font and color of the text around it. ⬜ is the white large square emoji, a different character that most devices show as a filled white tile.
Is □ the same as a checkbox?
Not quite. □ is a general geometric shape. For a checkbox, Unicode has the ballot box ☐, which is designed to sit with ☑ and ☒.
How do I copy and paste the White Square 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 White Square symbol on Windows?
In Microsoft Word, type 25A1 and press Alt+X to turn the code into □. In any app, open Character Map from the Start menu, search for “white square”, then select and copy the character.
How do I type the White Square symbol on a Mac?
Press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “white square”, and double-click the result to insert it.
How do I type the White Square 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 White Square 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 “white square”. In Word, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set from to Unicode (hex), and enter 25A1 as the character code.
Is the White Square 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 White Square 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 Geometric Shapes block, and free font families such as Google Noto cover nearly all of Unicode.
What are the HTML and CSS codes for the White Square symbol?
In HTML, write □ (decimal) or □ (hexadecimal), or the named entity □. In CSS, use content: "\25A1"; in a ::before or ::after rule, and in JavaScript "\u25A1". See all HTML codes.