What is the UNICHAR function in Excel?

UNICHAR() is an Excel function (available from Excel 2013 onwards) that returns the Unicode character for a given code point number. For example, =UNICHAR(169) returns ©, =UNICHAR(9733) returns ★, and =UNICHAR(128522) returns a smiley face emoji.

How do I find the Unicode code point for a character in Excel?

Use the UNICODE() function, which is the reverse of UNICHAR(). For example, =UNICODE("©") returns 169. You can also look up characters on Unicode reference sites or use our Unicode Lookup tool.

Can I use emojis in Excel cells?

Yes, Excel 2016 and later versions support emojis. You can paste them directly, use UNICHAR() with the emoji's code point, or use the Windows emoji picker (Win+.). Note that older Excel versions and some exports (CSV) may not preserve emoji characters correctly.

How to Use Unicode Symbols in Excel - UNICHAR(), Alt Codes & Symbol Dialog

Microsoft Excel supports the full Unicode character set, which means you can use virtually any symbol, special character, or emoji in your spreadsheets. Whether you need check marks for a status column, currency symbols for financial reports, or mathematical notation for scientific data, Excel provides several methods to insert them.

This guide covers all the practical approaches, from the powerful UNICHAR() function to the visual Symbol dialog, with real-world examples you can use straight away. If you also use Google Sheets, see our companion guide on symbols in Google Sheets and for Word documents, check our Microsoft Word symbols guide.

Method 1: The UNICHAR() Function

Available from Excel 2013 onwards, UNICHAR() converts a Unicode code point number into its corresponding character. It is the most flexible method because you can embed it in formulas and use it dynamically.

Syntax: =UNICHAR(number)

Returns the character represented by the given Unicode code point.

Essential UNICHAR() Examples

Formula	Result	Description
=UNICHAR(169)	©	Copyright symbol
=UNICHAR(176)	°	Degree symbol
=UNICHAR(8364)	€	Euro sign
=UNICHAR(163)	£	Pound sign
=UNICHAR(10003)	✓	Check mark
=UNICHAR(10060)	❌	Cross mark
=UNICHAR(9733)	★	Black star
=UNICHAR(8594)	→	Right arrow
=UNICHAR(9650)	▲	Up triangle
=UNICHAR(9660)	▼	Down triangle

The UNICODE() Function (Reverse Lookup)

The companion function UNICODE() does the reverse — it returns the code point number for any character. This is useful when you have a symbol and need to find its code point for use elsewhere.

=UNICODE("©") → 169

=UNICODE("★") → 9733

=UNICODE("€") → 8364

Practical Formula Examples

=IF(B2="Complete", UNICHAR(10004), UNICHAR(9744))

Shows ✔ for completed items and ☐ for pending items

=A1 & UNICHAR(176) & "C"

Appends a degree symbol: "25°C"

=REPT(UNICHAR(9733), C1) & REPT(UNICHAR(9734), 5-C1)

Creates a visual star rating: ★★★☆☆

=IF(D2>D1, UNICHAR(9650), IF(D2<D1, UNICHAR(9660), UNICHAR(9644)))

Shows ▲ for increase, ▼ for decrease, or ▬ for unchanged

Method 2: Alt Codes

If you are on Windows with a numeric keypad, Alt codes provide a quick way to type common symbols directly:

Click into the cell where you want the symbol
Make sure Num Lock is on
Hold Alt and type the numeric code on the keypad
Release Alt — the character appears

Common Alt codes for Excel:

Symbol	Alt Code	Name
©	Alt+0169	Copyright
°	Alt+0176	Degree
±	Alt+0177	Plus-minus
µ	Alt+0181	Micro
×	Alt+0215	Multiplication
÷	Alt+0247	Division

For a comprehensive list, see our complete Alt codes reference.

Method 3: The Symbol Dialog

Excel includes a visual symbol browser that lets you find characters by font and Unicode subset:

Go to Insert tab on the ribbon
Click Symbol (far right of the ribbon, in the Symbols group)
In the Symbol dialog, select a font (Segoe UI Symbol and Arial Unicode MS have the widest coverage)
Choose a Unicode subset from the dropdown to narrow results (e.g. "Mathematical Operators", "Arrows", "Currency Symbols")
Click a character and press Insert
The "Recently used symbols" section remembers your frequently used characters

Method 4: Copy and Paste

The universal fallback — copy any character from a web reference and paste it into Excel. This works for every symbol including emojis and exotic Unicode characters.

Our symbol pages make this easy — click any character to copy it, then paste into Excel. Try our arrows, stars, check marks, or math symbols pages.

Tips and Troubleshooting

Symbols disappear when saving as CSV: CSV files use plain text encoding. Some Unicode characters may not survive the conversion. Save as .xlsx to preserve all symbols.
Characters show as boxes: This usually means the cell's font does not include that character. Try changing the font to Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, or a system font with broad Unicode coverage.
UNICHAR() returns #VALUE! error: The code point may be outside the valid range (1 to 1,114,111) or your Excel version may not support UNICHAR() (requires Excel 2013 or later).
Symbols print differently: Ensure your printer supports the font being used. For PDF export, embed fonts in the PDF settings.