Right arrows in math and science
The right arrow → (officially rightwards arrow, U+2192) is the most used arrow in math. f: A → B says a function goes from set A to set B, and x → 0 reads "x approaches zero". ↦ means "maps to" for a single value (x ↦ x²), ⇒ and ⟹ mean "implies", and ↠ marks a surjection.
In chemistry, → separates reactants from products (2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O), and the double harpoon ⇌ marks a reversible reaction in equilibrium. Physicists use a small arrow over a letter for vectors, which is a combining mark rather than a separate arrow.
Right arrows for menus, steps and bios
In instructions, arrows show a path: File → Export → PDF. In lists, a heavy arrow like ➜ or ➤ makes a bold bullet point, and ▶︎ is the familiar play button. In bios, people use ➳ (a feathered arrow) next to a heart for a Cupid look, or ╰┈➤ to point at a link.
The dingbat arrows ➔ to ➾ come from the classic Zapf Dingbats set, so they have many shapes: shadowed, feathered, teardrop and 3D. ➡︎ can turn into a colorful emoji on phones. If you want the same bold arrow but always as flat text, use ⮕ instead, which is not an emoji.
How to type →
On Windows, hold Alt and type 26 on the number pad to get →, or Alt + 16 for ►. On a Mac, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search "right arrow". On phones, search "right" in the emoji keyboard for ➡️ and ▶️.
In Microsoft Word, AutoCorrect turns --> into →, or type 2192 and press Alt + X. In HTML, use → for → or ⇒ for ⇒. In LaTeX, use \rightarrow (or \to), \Rightarrow, \implies and \mapsto. For the opposite direction, see the left arrow symbol, or the greater than symbol if you need > itself.