Try the Symbol Picker — Open the Afcreationz Symbol Picker with 620 copy-and-paste symbols and find the character you need in seconds.
Why Symbols Matter
Every day we see loads of symbols in our daily lives, from the copyright symbol on the bottom of a website, a star rating for products, arrows for click here buttons and hearts for bios on social media. These symbols all have a meaning to them that cannot be expressed with letters and numbers. They can express a whole sentence in a single character. An tick symbol means it is complete, a warning triangle means be cautious and a currency symbol shows the exact money being used. However, when you want to use a symbol it can be quite difficult to find. Most keyboards only contain a few symbols, and the others are hidden in menus we never actually use. This is where a symbol picker can really help.
What Is a Symbol Picker?
A symbol picker is a tool that allows you to easily pick the symbol you want from hundreds of options. Instead of searching your OS character map or searching online how to type in a section symbol, you simply open the symbol picker and choose the symbol you want. The Afcreationz Symbol Picker has 620 symbols split into sections including currency, mathematics, arrows, punctuation, stars, hearts and more. All the symbols can be clicked, making it super easy to get the desired symbol. Whether you are adding to a social media bio, completing an assignment, formatting a document or adding to your username, the symbol picker saves you 5 minutes of searching for the symbol you need.
Why People Use Symbols
Using symbols can help in many ways. They can help you create accurate documents in a professional environment. For example, you can add a registered trademark symbol to protect your brand name, a section symbol to direct readers to the correct part of the legal document, plus/minus symbols to tell the reader what the tolerance is and an approximate symbol to let them know the number is rounded. When sending messages, symbols can help you type faster and avoid confusion. Adding a tick symbol lets the recipient know it is completed, an arrow lets them know the direction or next step and a star will draw attention to the most important item. When posting to social media, using a couple of symbols can help your bio or caption be easier to read as humans can pick up on shapes quicker than words. Using symbols does not require any design skills, just knowing where to find the right symbol.
How to Use the Afcreationz Symbol Picker
To use the Afcreationz Symbol Picker you will need to follow a few simple steps. Firstly, open up the Symbol Picker page. You will see all the symbols sorted into categories with a search bar at the top. Secondly, find your symbol by scrolling through the categories like Currency or Arrows or by typing in your search bar. For example, typing in ‘heart’ will show you all of the heart symbols. Thirdly, click on the symbol you want. This will automatically copy the symbol to your clipboard. Finally, open up whatever you want to add your symbol to. This could be a document, post, message or form. Simply paste your symbol by pressing Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac). Or on your phone, long press and Paste. There is no need to create an account, download anything or learn any code.
How to Search for the Right Symbol
Knowing how to search for the right symbol will help you save time. Most people will know what the symbol looks like but will not know what it is called. So, if you are searching for a currency symbol type in ‘money’, if you want a heart symbol type in ‘love’ and if you want an arrow type in ‘direction’. This will show you the correct set of symbols. If you know what the symbol is called, simply type in the name. For example, copyright, trademark, infinity, pi and delta. If you are unsure what you want, scrolling through the categories is a great way to find the right symbol. Often whilst scrolling through the star or punctuation symbols you will find a symbol that fits better. As there are so many symbols in the picker, it can be helpful to try another search term. For example, searching for ‘tick’ and ‘check’ can give you very different results but both will be useful. Both will also show you the same family of symbols.
Using Symbols on Windows
On Windows there are 3 ways to add symbols. However, using the symbol picker will save you time. The Character Map tool shows you all the characters available in your fonts. However, this will take ages to find the symbol you want as you will need to scroll through thousands of characters and manually copy the symbol. Alt Codes are the traditional way to add symbols. Press Alt and type in a number using the number pad. For example, Alt+0169 will give you the copyright symbol. This can be frustrating as you need the number pad and only a few symbols are available. No-one can remember more than a few symbols. The Emoji panel can be accessed by pressing Windows Key + Period. This gives you quick access to symbols. However, this is designed for emojis and the symbols are hidden a few clicks away. The symbol picker avoids all of this. Simply search, click and paste. The symbol can be used in any program on Windows as it is just a normal character.
Using Symbols on Mac
On a Mac the Character Viewer is a powerful tool. To open it, press Control + Command + Space. This will give you thousands of options, including emojis and symbols. However, the search function only works if you know the official name of the character. It can also be quite time consuming to find a symbol you want as it is split into large categories. For example, finding a simple heart symbol can take ages. Some symbols can be added by pressing Option. For example, Option+G will give you a copyright symbol. However, this is different for every symbol and rarely is printed anywhere you can see whilst typing. The Symbol Picker avoids this by being a web based tool. This can be opened on any browser on your Mac. There is no need to remember any shortcuts and it is easy to find the right symbol as they are all visible. Once copied, the symbol can be pasted into any program on your Mac like Pages, Word, Notes, Mail etc. As it is a normal character it will act as if you have typed it in.
Using Symbols on Your Phone
On a phone it can be very frustrating to find the right symbol. Most mobile keyboards do not have many symbols, with most hidden in long press menus and 2nd page. On an iPhone you can long press some letters to get accented letters. However, there is no built in way to get a section symbol, infinity symbol or currency symbol outside of your region. On an Android phone it depends on your keyboard. Some have a symbols page. However, others will have the special characters hidden behind multiple taps. The symbol picker can be used on both phones. Open it on your phone browser, click the symbol you want and it will copy. Switch back to your app, whether it be Instagram, WhatsApp, Notes or anything else. Long press the text box and click paste. The symbol will appear in your message or bio. It will also stay there when you post as it is a real character.
Using Symbols on the Web
Using the symbol picker can help you use symbols on the web. This is where most people will use symbols. Adding a star or line symbol to your social media bio will help split up your text and draw attention to your link. Adding an arrow to your YouTube or Instagram captions will help draw attention to your link in bio. Adding a tick symbol will turn a list of features into a scannable list. Adding a copyright or trademark symbol will let people know who owns the content clearly. Adding a degree or section symbol will help keep your technical writing accurate. As these are all normal text characters you can add them to your title, description, comments or messages. Just make sure to check the platform you are using as a few will remove or change any unusual characters in your username. Try using the symbol in a draft first.
Using Symbols in Documents
Symbols can help you in documents. In Microsoft Word you can add symbols using the Insert menu. However, the dialogue can be slow to use if you need to add the same symbol multiple times. It can also be time consuming to find the symbol again. In Google Docs the special characters panel is more organised. However, it can still disrupt your flow. Using the symbol picker will save you time. Simply keep the symbol picker open in a new tab and copy the symbols you need. This is much quicker if you need to add multiple currency symbols, section symbols or math symbols to your report. This can also be used in spreadsheets, presentations and emails. A tip is if the symbol is showing up in your document but not on someone elses device, this is almost always due to the font on their device. Simply change to a common font like Arial or Calibri or use a simpler symbol.
What Is Unicode and Why Does It Matter?
You may have noticed that there is a system behind symbols; this is Unicode. Understanding this system can help you understand why symbols can be used almost anywhere. Unicode is the standard system that gives every character in every language a unique number. This includes letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols and emoji. Before Unicode some devices had different character sets meaning that you would get incorrect characters when you opened a document on another device. However, now almost all modern devices, browsers and apps use Unicode. This means that almost always when you copy a symbol from a symbol picker on one device and paste onto another device it will paste correctly. This is also why symbols are a better choice than an image. Images cannot be searched or copied as text. However, since they are Unicode characters they can be searched, copied as text and are easily scalable to any size of text.
Why the Same Symbol Can Look Different
Not all symbols behave the same. The most common issue with symbols is the empty box. This is known as tofu and appears when the device you are viewing your text on does not have a font containing the symbol. This is most common with less common or decorative symbols. To fix this simply select a more common symbol or check your text on a second device. Secondly, the same Unicode character may look slightly different on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android due to different fonts being used. For example, your heart may look more rounded on one phone but sharp on another. However, it is the same character with the same meaning. Lastly, simple symbols will take on the colour of your text whereas emoji will be coloured. If you want your symbol to match the text in your document simply use a text symbol.
How to Choose the Right Symbol
Choosing the right symbol is more important than selecting a pretty one. Try to choose symbols based on what they mean. For example, use a tick to show something is complete, a cross to show something is removed/error, an arrow to show direction/sequence, a star to show something is important/rating and a currency symbol to show money. This is because people will automatically know what they mean. Avoid using too many symbols in a row as this can make your text difficult to read and can look unprofessional. Usually one or two symbols in a line or section is fine. When writing something formal, keep your symbols to what your readers would expect. Legal and academic documents will use section, paragraph, copyright and trademark symbols. However, if you are writing a resume or a business email you should only use up to one symbol, either bullet points or dividers. Your symbols should also not distract from your message. If unsure, always go for the simplest symbol.
Symbols With Legal Meaning
Some symbols have a legal or professional meaning. It is good to use these correctly. Copyright symbols show that something is protected. They are usually followed by the year and name of the owner. For example in a website footer. Registered Trademark symbols can only be used for trademarks that have been registered. Unregistered Trademarks are for brands that you are claiming but have not been registered. Section symbols are for showing a section number in a law, contract or manual. Paragraph symbols are for showing a single paragraph within that section. Using symbols incorrectly such as registering a trademark symbol with something you haven’t registered can cause confusion for your reader. In a business setting it can cause real issues. Whilst the symbols are provided in the symbol picker, knowing which symbol to use is down to you. If you are using a symbol in a legal document it can be good to double check how to use it.
Symbols and Accessibility
Symbols can help with accessibility. Many common symbols will be read aloud by screen readers. Screen readers are what blind people use to have text read to them. This means that your check mark will be read as check mark and your star will be read as star. This can be very helpful in a list but using a lot of decorative symbols can cause a long list of names to be read out. To avoid this, try to not use decorative symbols in the main text. Use them as dividers or at the beginning of headings. Never use a symbol as the only way to convey your message. Always pair it with text so that someone who can’t see the symbol will understand. As with good design, your symbols should help support your text.
Common Mistakes With Symbols
Everyone makes a few mistakes when using symbols for the first time. Firstly, copying a symbol from a random website can cause issues. This is because the symbol will be an image and not text. This means it cannot be edited and will often be blurry. This can be avoided by using the symbol picker as everything will be real text. Secondly, using too many symbols in a username or bio can cause problems. Many platforms will limit what characters can be used in usernames. If you have too many symbols in your username it may not be accepted. Thirdly, assuming the symbol will look the same everywhere. Always preview an important post/document on another device. Fourthly, some systems will only accept plain text. For example some old forms or payment pages. This can cause issues. Simply type out the word. None of these mistakes will cause any permanent issues but double checking before posting will save you editing.
Troubleshooting: When a Symbol Will Not Paste
If your symbol won’t paste have a quick check. Firstly, did you actually click the symbol? Single clicking will copy the symbol. Double clicking will replace whatever is in your clipboard. Secondly, try to paste into a plain text field. For example Notes. Some apps will limit what you can paste. Thirdly, try a different symbol. If one symbol works but another doesn’t it is because that character isn’t supported on that device. Usually a simpler symbol will work. Fourthly, refresh the symbol picker page. Occasionally the page may become outdated and not allow you to copy. Lastly, if you are using a phone and the paste option isn’t appearing tap once in the text field to put your cursor. Then long press directly on the cursor. This will bring up the paste options at the cursor.
Specialist Uses for Symbols
Symbols have specialist uses. Having a good symbol picker will help you. Students and teachers will use maths symbols such as pi, infinity, delta, plus/minus and square root in assignments and worksheets. It can be time consuming and cause errors to type these out from memory. Programmers and technical writers use section, paragraph and arrow symbols in their documentation to indicate where people should look in their guide. Musicians use note symbols in set lists and lesson notes. These are easy to read in plain text messages. Small business owners use currency symbols, stars and ticks in product descriptions and social media. These can help highlight prices, ratings and features without using images. In all of these cases the symbol has a specific meaning. Using the symbol picker means you can find the symbol in one click. This means you can focus on your content.
Build Your Own Shortlist of Symbols
Having a short list of symbols you use will make your symbol picker much more useful. Most people will use the same 10-20 symbols. For example copyright, a couple of arrows, star, tick, currency and divider. Knowing where these are in your symbol picker will save you searching. If you often write the same type of document, for example a legal memo, product listing or social media template, save a draft with your usual symbols. This way you can just copy them. If you come across a new symbol that fits your needs write down the name of the symbol. This will help you find it next time. The symbol picker has 620 symbols so you will never have to use a similar character. However knowing the ones you use weekly will help.
Conclusion
Symbols are small but can impact how your text is read. Adding one symbol can show ownership, direction, completion, price and highlight the most important part of your text. The issue was never understanding symbols but finding them. Using a symbol picker makes this easy. Search or scroll through the symbols, click to copy and paste anywhere. Open the Afcreationz Symbol Picker and try a few symbols from the categories that fit your needs. Save your favourites to include in your next document/post/bio. Next time you need a special character you will know exactly where to find it.
Popular Symbols at a Glance
| Symbol | Name | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Marks ownership of creative work |
| ® | Registered trademark | Registered brand names |
| ™ | Trademark | Unregistered brand claims |
| € | Euro | Prices in euros |
| £ | Pound sterling | Prices in British pounds |
| ¥ | Yen / Yuan | Japanese yen or Chinese yuan prices |
| § | Section | Legal and manual section references |
| ¶ | Paragraph | Paragraph references in documents |
| • | Bullet | Lists |
| ★ | Star | Ratings and highlights |
| ♥ | Heart | Likes, favorites, affection |
| → | Right arrow | Direction, next steps, links |
| ✓ | Check mark | Completion, correct answers |
| ∞ | Infinity | Mathematics, endless concepts |
| π | Pi | Mathematics, geometry |
| ° | Degree | Temperatures, angles |
| ± | Plus-minus | Tolerances, approximations |
| ÷ | Division | Mathematics |
| ≠ | Not equal | Mathematics, comparisons |
Symbols by Purpose
- Social bios: ★ ♥ → • ✦ — dividers, highlights, links
- Documents: © ® ™ § ¶ — ownership and references
- Math and science: π ∞ Δ ± ° ÷ ≠ — formulas and measurements
- Money: $ € £ ¥ ₹ — prices and currencies
- Lists and checklists: • ✓ ★ → — structure and status
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I copy a symbol from a symbol picker?
Open the picker, click the symbol you want, and it is copied to your clipboard. Then paste it with Ctrl+V (Windows), Command+V (Mac), or long-press and Paste on your phone.
Why does a symbol show as a box on some devices?
The viewing device has no font containing that symbol. Choose a more common symbol, or check your text on another device before publishing.
Can I use symbols in Instagram bios and captions?
Yes. Symbols are standard text characters, so they work in bios, captions, comments, and messages. Test a symbol in a draft first, since some characters are restricted in usernames.
What is the difference between a symbol and an emoji?
A symbol is a plain text character that takes your text’s color and font. An emoji is drawn in color by design and can look different on each platform. Use symbols when you need a clean, professional look.
How do I type a symbol on Windows without a picker?
You can use Character Map, Alt codes on a numeric keypad, or Windows key + period for the emoji panel — but a picker is faster because you search by appearance instead of memorizing codes.
How do I type a symbol on a Mac?
Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, or use a web picker in your browser, copy the symbol, and paste it into any app.
Are symbols free to use?
Most common symbols like copyright, arrows, stars, and currency signs are free to type and use. Trademark signs carry legal meaning, so use ® only for registered trademarks.
Why should I not use too many symbols?
Too many symbols make text hard to read, can confuse screen readers, and can look unprofessional. One or two symbols per line or section is usually enough.
Do symbols work in Word and Google Docs?
Yes. Copy a symbol from the picker and paste it into your document. It behaves like normal text and can be resized, colored, and formatted.
What is Unicode?
Unicode is the standard that gives every character its own unique number, so the same symbol displays correctly on almost every modern device, browser, and app.
Related Guides
Ready to find your symbol? Open the Symbol Picker.