About Keyboard & Interface Symbols
What is this page?
The characters you need when writing about keyboards and software: the Mac modifier keys ⌘ ⌥ ⇧ ⌃, the return ⏎, delete ⌫, tab ⇥, and escape ⎋ symbols, plus power, eject, and other interface glyphs. If you write documentation, tutorials, tooltips, or support answers, these turn clumsy phrases like "press Command plus S" into a clean ⌘ + S.
How to Use It
- Click a key symbol. It is copied to your clipboard and added to the pad.
- Compose a shortcut. Build the full combination in the pad, like ⌘ + ⇧ + S.
- Paste into your writing. Docs, menus, README files, and UI mockups all render them as text.
Use Cases
- Software documentation and keyboard shortcut tables
- Menu labels and tooltips in app interfaces
- Tutorials, support replies, and knowledge base articles
- README files and cheat sheets that must stay plain text
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the ⌘ symbol mean?
That is the Mac Command key, the main modifier in almost every macOS shortcut, like ⌘ + C for copy. The looped square design has been on Apple keyboards since 1980, and in writing it always refers to the Command key.
What are the ⌥, ⇧, and ⌃ symbols?
⌥ is Option (called Alt on other systems), ⇧ is Shift, and ⌃ is Control. Apple menus display shortcuts with these glyphs, so ⌥⌘V reads as Option + Command + V. Using the same symbols in your documentation makes it match what users see on screen.
How do I type these on a Windows keyboard?
There are no keyboard shortcuts for them on Windows, which is the usual reason people land here. Copy the symbols from this page and paste them into your document; they are ordinary Unicode text and render fine on Windows even though the keys they describe are from Mac keyboards.
What is the difference between ⏎ and ↵?
Both represent the Return/Enter key and are used interchangeably. ⏎ is the dedicated "return symbol" character while ↵ is a bent arrow that predates it; documentation styles vary, so pick one and stay consistent throughout your document.
Should I use these symbols or write the key names out?
For Mac-focused audiences the symbols are standard and match the menus on screen. For mixed or Windows audiences, spell the names out or show both, like "⌘ + S (Cmd + S)", since Windows users don't see these glyphs on their keyboards and may not recognize all of them.