UNICHAR in Google Sheets

What is UNICHAR in Google Sheets?

The UNICHAR function in Google Sheets returns a character corresponding to a specific Unicode value. An UNICODE is normally an international used encoding standard in different languages, where each letter, digit, or symbol is assigned a unique  value that is numeric. This value is the same across different platforms and programs. To put it in a simple way, the UNICHAR function helps one display special symbols, alphabets of different languages and currently, even the hot trending emojis providing their Unicode number.

For example, to make some checkmarks automatically based on a particular chek in a progress tracker, we use the following formula to get the ✓ (the checkmark symbol).

=UNICHAR(10003)

Syntax

The UNICHAR in Google Sheets formula is as follows:

=UNICHAR(number)

The argument means:

number: The Unicode number (a numeric code) representing the character you want to return.

For example, the formula =UNICHAR(65) will display A, since the Unicode value for the capital A is 65.

How To Use UNICHAR Function in Google Sheets?

As seen above, the UNICHAR function returns a character, which can be either a symbol, emoji, or a letter, that corresponds to a specific Unicode number. There are many instances where it might be useful such as inserting icons into reports nor symbols in spreadsheets where visual symbols are easier to understand than read through all the data.

Let’s see the two main ways to enter the UNICHAR function in Google Sheets:

1. Enter UNICHAR manually
2. From the Google Sheets menu

Enter UNICHAR Manually

Let us look at how to enter the function manually. We have a customer feedback system. Here, each rating is given using the star symbol.  you’re designing a rating sheet where each rating is represented by a star symbol. The Unicode number for a star ★ is 9733. We’ll use the UNICHAR function to display it.

Step 1: Open Google Sheets and in a new sheet, enter the Unicode number in an empty cell. For instance, here we type 9733 in cell A2.

Step 2: In another cell B2, enter the formula below:

=UNICHAR(A1).

Step 3: Press Enter. The cell B1 will display the star symbol ★.

This shows that UNICHAR(9733) returns the ★ corresponding to Unicode number 9733.

Entering UNICHAR Through the Menu Bar

1. Go to the Insert tab. Choose Function → Text.
2. From the list of functions, select UNICHAR.
3. Fill in the argument, any Unicode number.
4. Press Enter to display the result.

The result will be the same — a star symbol in the result cell.

The UNICHAR function is a quick and creative way to include symbols, emojis, or international characters in your Google Sheets. Whether you’re designing dashboards, adding checkmarks for task completion, or making data more visual, UNICHAR adds both clarity and style.

Examples

The primary purpose of UNICHAR in Google Sheets is to return the symbol  or letter associated with a Unicode number. This makes it easy to add visual elements like checkmarks, stars, or emojis to your data. Let’s look at some simple, real-world examples to understand how it works.

Example #1 – Add Checkmarks

We use the UNICHAR function to display checkmarks (✓) for completed tasks. For example, a person must manage a to-do list in Google Sheets and want a ✓ to appear next to completed items. Let us see how to implement the same

Step 1: In a new Google Sheet, create a simple task list as shown below:

Step 2: In cell C1, enter the following formula:

=IF(B2=”Done”, UNICHAR(10003), “”)

Step 3: Press Enter, then drag the formula to apply it to all rows.

The ✓ symbol will appear beside all tasks marked as Done.

This method is very useful when making to-do lists, checklists, or dashboards more visual and easier to read.

UNICHAR makes tracking progress simple and elegant — no need for extra images or manual icons; just a clean checkmark for every completed task.

Example #2 – Conditional Formatting with UNICHAR

UNICHAR in Google Sheets can also be used along with conditional formatting to make the data visually appealing. In this example, we track sales performance and want to show up or down arrows to indicate changes. Let us use the UNICHAR function in an efficient manner for the same.

Step 1: Enter the details in a sheet as shown below.

Step 2: Enter the below formula in cell C2. Here, we have discovered the Unicode characters for up and down arrow as 9650 and 9660, respectively.

=IF(B2>0, UNICHAR(9650), UNICHAR(9660))

• Unicode 9650 represents the up arrow, ▲.
• Unicode 9660 represents the down arrow,▼.

Step 3: Press Enter and drag the formula down for all the values. Now, if the sales change is positive, you’ll see an up arrow, and if it’s negative, we get a down arrow.

Step 4: You can further apply conditional formatting to color-code these arrows. Let us apply pink for the up arrow and light green for the down arrow. Go to Format-> Conditional Formatting -> Conditional Format Rules.
By combining UNICHAR with conditional formatting, you can transform numeric data into intuitive visuals that instantly show performance trends.

For the up-arrow, we type, B2>0 in the custom formula box. Click done.

Step 2: Go to Add another rule and click on it.

Again, for the down arrow, we type, B2<0.

Now, you can see the formatting applied.

Example #3 – Create a Star Rating System

One can use UNICHAR in Google Sheets to build a simple star-based rating system which can be used for customer feedback or product reviews.

Step 1: Suppose we have the following ratings in a Google Sheet. Let us see how to apply stars in place of numeric ratings.

Step 2: In cell C1, enter the following formula:

=REPT(UNICHAR(9733), B2)

Here,

• UNICHAR(9733) returns the ★ symbol while REPT repeats the star according to the numeric rating in column B.

Step 3: Press Enter and drag the formula down.

Now, each product will display a star rating. The UNICHAR function lets you create attractive and dynamic rating visuals without any add-ons or images — just a simple formula that turns numbers into stars.

Important Things to Note

1. UNICHAR only supports valid Unicode numbers (from 1 to 1114111). If the number is outside this range, it will return an error.
2. The function is often combined with IF or REPT to automate visual symbols like checkmarks or stars.
3. Unicode characters may appear differently depending on the device, browser, or font used.
4. You can use UNICHAR to insert emojis, symbols, or special characters without needing custom icons.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Download Template

This article must help understand the UNICHAR Function in Google Sheets, with its formula and examples. We can download the template here to use it instantly.

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