semiatic

Keyboard symbol · Loops or a circle

⌘ Command key symbol

Our drawing, not Apple’s or Microsoft’s artwork.

⌘ is the Command key on a Mac. It is the main shortcut key: where a Windows PC uses Ctrl (Ctrl+C to copy), a Mac uses Command (Command-C).

The symbol
⌘
Name on a Mac
Command (or Cmd)
Name on a Windows PC
No Command key. Apple: press Ctrl or the Windows logo key instead
Unicode
U+2318 PLACE OF INTEREST SIGN
In HTML
⌘
Where the key is
Either side of the space bar on Apple keyboards: the two keys right next to it.

What Apple says

  • Command (or Cmd) ⌘ Apple Support, Mac keyboard shortcuts, list of modifier-key symbols under Using keyboard shortcuts
  • Command-C Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder. Apple Support, Mac keyboard shortcuts, Command-C
  • Command-Z Undo the previous command. Apple Support, Mac keyboard shortcuts, Command-Z
  • Command-Tab Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps. Apple Support, Mac keyboard shortcuts, Command-Tab

On a Windows PC

  • On keyboards made for Windows PCs, press the Alt key instead of Option, and the Ctrl key or Windows logo key instead of Command. Apple Support, Mac keyboard shortcuts, note under the modifier-key list
  • Control → Command Swap in Command for Control for many common shortcuts used on a Windows PC. For example, press Command-C to copy or Command-S to save a document or file. Apple Support (Mac User Guide), Windows keys on a Mac keyboard, table row Control
  • Windows key → Control, Command Control and Command are used on Mac as modifier keys, similar to the Windows key. Apple Support (Mac User Guide), Windows keys on a Mac keyboard, table row Windows key

The character: U+2318 PLACE OF INTEREST SIGN

To type or paste it anywhere, copy this: ⌘. It is U+2318 in Unicode, named PLACE OF INTEREST SIGN, shown in the code chart Unicode Consortium, Code chart: Miscellaneous Technical, U+2300 to U+23FF, U+2318

The Unicode names list annotates this character: command key (1.0) and operating system key (ISO/IEC 9995-7). Unicode Consortium, NamesList.txt, The Unicode Standard 18.0.0 (character names and annotations), U+2318

In the ISO keyboard standard

The Unicode names list records that ISO/IEC 9995-7 uses this same sign, ⌘, for what it calls the operating system key. Unicode Consortium, NamesList.txt, The Unicode Standard 18.0.0 (character names and annotations), block headers “Keyboard symbols from ISO/IEC 9995-7” and annotations

The standard itself: ISO/IEC (catalogue entry), ISO/IEC 9995-7:2009 Information technology — Keyboard layouts for text and office systems — Part 7: Symbols used to represent functions, catalogue entry

Other symbols of the same shape

⎋ EscapeU+238B🌐 Fn / GlobeU+1F310

More keyboard symbols

⌥ OptionU+2325⌃ ControlU+2303⇧ ShiftU+21E7⇪ Caps LockU+21EA⇥ TabU+21E5⌫ Delete (Backspace)U+232B⌦ Forward DeleteU+2326⏎ ReturnU+23CE⏏ EjectU+23CF⇞ Page UpU+21DE⇟ Page DownU+21DF⇱ HomeU+21F1⇲ EndU+21F2

Sources

Each line in quotation marks is copied from the page named, read on the date shown. Unicode names and code points are copied from the Unicode names list and code charts.