“Box symbol” can mean a few different things. Most people mean checkboxes like ☐ ☑ ☒, but others mean square shapes like □ ■, or box-drawing lines like ┌ ─ │ (used for borders).

Here are 3 examples so you can instantly pick the right type:

☐ (empty checkbox / ballot box)
□ (plain square shape)
┌ (box-drawing corner)

1-Minute Answer (fastest methods)

If you just want the symbols quickly:

Fastest: use the click-to-copy tool near the top of this page → paste anywhere.
In Word (Windows/Mac): Insert → Symbol → More Symbols (then pick the box/checkbox you want).
On Windows (any app): open Character Map and copy the symbol.
On Mac (any app): open Character Viewer and insert the symbol.
In Google Docs: Insert → Special characters (then search for “checkbox”, “square”, or “box drawing”).

Quick Reference (most used box symbols)

Checkboxes / ballot boxes

☐ Empty checkbox (ballot box)
☑ Checked checkbox
☒ Checkbox with X
✅ Check mark button (emoji)
❌ Cross mark (emoji)

Square/box shapes

□ White square
■ Black square
▢ White square (small)
▣ Square with filled center

Mini table (copy targets)

Symbol	Common name	Best use
☐	Empty checkbox	Lists, forms (not clickable)
☑	Checked checkbox	Checked state (not clickable)
☒	Checkbox with X	“No / incorrect / rejected”
□	White square	Simple square shape
■	Black square	Solid square/bullet style
┌	Box-drawing corner	Drawing borders/boxes with lines
─	Box-drawing horizontal	Borders/boxes with lines
│	Box-drawing vertical	Borders/boxes with lines

A) Box symbols in Microsoft Word (Windows + Mac)

Most people searching “box symbol on keyboard” actually mean box symbols in Word. Here are the easiest, reliable methods.

Method 1: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols (step-by-step)

Open Microsoft Word.
Click where you want the symbol to appear.
Go to Insert tab.
Click Symbol → More Symbols…
In the Symbol window:
- Try the Font dropdown first (this matters a lot).
- Then scroll and select the symbol you need.
Click Insert, then Close.

Tips to find the right “box symbol” faster

For checkbox symbols (☐ ☑ ☒), look for fonts that include symbol sets. On Windows, Segoe UI Symbol often contains them.
For square shapes (□ ■ ▢ ▣), try common fonts first, then symbol fonts if you can’t find them.
For box-drawing lines (┌ ─ │ ┐ etc.), scroll until you see the line pieces (corners, T-junctions, and crosses).

If you can’t find what you want in one font, switch the Font dropdown and try again.

Method 2: Copy/paste from the widget (fastest)

Copy the symbol from the click-to-copy tool on this page.
In Word, paste it:
- Windows: Ctrl + V
- Mac: Command + V

This works in Word, email, Google Docs, Excel, PowerPoint—almost anywhere.

Method 3 (Mac fallback): Character Viewer (works in Word too)

In Word, click where you want the symbol.
Open Character Viewer:
- Press Control + Command + Space
Search for:
- checkbox / ballot box
- square
- box drawing
Double-click a symbol to insert it.

Bonus: Want a clickable checkbox in Word? (real checkboxes)

If you need a checkbox you can click (like a form), don’t use ☐.

Use Word’s built-in checkbox control instead:

Turn on the Developer tab.
Insert a Checkbox Content Control.

How to add the Developer tab in Word

B) Box symbols in Excel

In Excel, box symbols are usually used for display (checklists, dashboards, templates).

Method 1: Copy/paste (fastest)

Copy from the widget → paste into a cell.

Method 2: Insert Symbol

Click the cell (or double-click to edit inside the cell).
Go to Insert → Symbol (Windows)
- On Mac, use Insert → Symbol or Character Viewer depending on your Excel version.
Choose the symbol and insert it.

Method 3 (advanced but useful): UNICHAR formulas

If you want the symbol generated by a formula, you can use UNICHAR with Unicode decimal values.

Examples:

=UNICHAR(9744) → ☐
=UNICHAR(9745) → ☑
=UNICHAR(9746) → ☒
=UNICHAR(9633) → □
=UNICHAR(9632) → ■

Tip: This is great for templates, but the look can vary by font.

C) Box symbols in PowerPoint

PowerPoint is simple:

Copy/paste from the widget (fastest), or
Insert → Symbol and select the character.

Works inside text boxes, shapes, and titles.

D) Box symbols in Google Docs

Google Docs has a built-in symbol search.

Go to Insert → Special characters
In the search box, try:
- ballot box (for ☐ ☑ ☒)
- checkbox
- square
- box drawing
Click the symbol to insert it.

E) Box symbols in Google Sheets

Best options:

Copy/paste from the widget (fastest)
Use UNICHAR (similar to Excel)

Examples:

=UNICHAR(9744) → ☐
=UNICHAR(9745) → ☑
=UNICHAR(9633) → □

F) Box symbols on iPhone + Android

Most phone keyboards don’t have these “box symbols” on a key.

Best method:

Copy the symbol from the widget.
Paste into your app (Notes, WhatsApp, Word app, Google Docs app, etc.).

Note: It’s normal if your keyboard can’t type them directly.

G) Box symbols on Chromebook (short)

Chromebook users usually do this:

Copy/paste from the widget, or
Use Google Docs → Insert → Special characters and search the symbol name.

Which box symbol do you need? (quick chooser)

Use this if you’re not sure:

Need an empty checkbox: ☐
Need a checked box: ☑ (or ✅ if you want emoji style)
Need an X box: ☒
Need a plain square: □ (or ■ for filled)
Need borders/lines: box-drawing set like ┌ ─ │ ┐ └ ┘ ┼

Troubleshooting

1) “The symbol shows as a box □” (yes, the irony)

That usually means your device/app can’t display the character with the current font.

Fixes:

Change the font (try a common font, or a symbol-friendly font).
Copy/paste a different version (for example, use □ instead of ▢, or use ☐ instead of a rarer checkbox).
On Windows in Word: try Segoe UI Symbol in the Symbol dialog.

2) “I can’t find checkbox symbols in Word”

Try these:

In Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, change the Font dropdown (don’t just scroll once).
Search/scan for “ballot box” style symbols.
Use the widget copy/paste method (fastest).

3) “Boxes look different on another device”

Normal. The font (and emoji styling) can change the appearance:

✅ and ❌ are emojis and may look different on iPhone vs Windows.
Even ☐ □ can vary slightly depending on font.

FAQ

How do I type a checkbox symbol?

The easiest way is copy/paste (use the click-to-copy tool). In Word, you can also use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.

How do I insert a box symbol in Word?

Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, pick the box symbol, then Insert.

How do I type an empty box ☐?

Copy ☐ from the tool on this page and paste it. On Windows, you can also find it in Character Map by searching “ballot box”.

Why does my symbol show as a square box?

That means the character isn’t supported by the current font/app. Change the font, or copy/paste a more common version.

How do I make a clickable checkbox in Word?

Use Word’s Developer tab → Checkbox Content Control (a real form checkbox), not the ☐ character.

Quick recap

“Box symbol” can mean checkboxes (☐), squares (□), or box-drawing lines (┌─│).
Fastest method: click-to-copy + paste.
In Word: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols (try different fonts).
Windows fallback: Character Map.
Mac fallback: Character Viewer.
Sheets/Excel: UNICHAR is great for templates.

Box Symbols on Keyboard (☐ □ ┌) — How to Type and Insert Them

Checkboxes / ballot boxes

Square/box shapes

Box-drawing basics