Shape symbols and box-drawing characters
Shapes are some of the most useful symbols for layouts and text art. This category has more than 600 of them: squares ■ □, circles ● ○, triangles ▲ ▼, diamonds ◆ ◇, stars ★ ☆, hearts ♥, box-drawing lines ─ │ ┌ ┐ └ ┘, block elements █ ▓ ▒ ░ and many geometric shapes.
Tap any shape to copy it and paste it into a document, a code comment, a bio, a game or a design.
Types of shape symbols
- Squares: ■ □ ▪ ▫ ◼ ◻ ▣ for bullets and checkboxes.
- Circles: ● ○ ◉ ◎ ◌ ◯ for dots, ratings and radio buttons.
- Triangles: ▲ △ ▼ ▽ ► ◄ for play buttons and pointers.
- Diamonds: ◆ ◇ ◈ ❖ for headings and separators.
- Box-drawing lines: ─ │ ┌ ┐ └ ┘ ├ ┤ ═ ║ for tables and frames.
- Blocks and shades: █ ▓ ▒ ░ ▀ ▄ for progress bars and pixel art.
Make text art and tables
Box-drawing characters let you draw frames and tables using only text. Programmers use them in README files, terminal tools and code comments. You can build a simple box like ┌───┐ and │ hi │ and └───┘ with just a few characters. Because every character is the same width in a monospace font, the lines join up neatly.
Block elements are perfect for quick progress bars, like ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 50%, and for pixel art in chats and Discord messages.
Shapes as bullets and ratings
Want a list that stands out? Swap normal bullets for ▪, ◆, ► or ○. Use filled and empty shapes for ratings: ●●●○○ or ★★★★☆. Checkbox squares □ and ■ make simple to-do lists in plain text, and triangles ▸ and ▾ show items that open and close.
Shapes are also popular in aesthetic bios and dividers, especially soft ones like ◦, ◌ and ⟡.
Shapes in design and slides
Designers often use text shapes in slides and social posts because they scale perfectly and take the text colour. A large ● can be a dot on a timeline, ▶ can be a play button, and ◆ can mark a key point. Since they are characters, you can change their size and colour just like words.
Finding the shape you need
Search by name: “black square”, “white circle”, “triangle”, “box drawings” or “shade”. In Unicode, “black” means filled and “white” means outlined, so ■ is a black square and □ is a white square. Open a shape with the i button to see its code point and similar shapes.
Shapes for games and puzzles
Shapes are handy for word games and puzzles in chat. Players use ■ and □ to share grid results, ● and ○ for board games, and ▲ ▼ to show scores going up or down. Teachers use them to make simple pattern worksheets for kids, like ● ▲ ■ ● ▲ ?, and quiz makers use them to label answer choices. Since every shape is text, the whole puzzle can be pasted into a message without any images.
Frequently asked questions
- What does “black” mean in a shape name?
- In Unicode names, black means filled in and white means outline only. So ● is a black circle and ○ is a white circle.
- How do I make a text table?
- Use box-drawing characters like ─ │ ┌ ┐ └ ┘ ┼ and view the text in a monospace font so the lines line up.
- How do I make a progress bar with text?
- Combine full blocks █ or dark shades ▓ with light shades ░, for example ████░░░░ for half done.
- Do shape symbols work on all phones?
- Common shapes like ■ ● ▲ ◆ work everywhere. A few rare geometric shapes need newer fonts.
- What is the difference between ■ and ▪?
- ■ is a black square at normal size, and ▪ is a black small square. The small one works well as a bullet.