358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]

Posted on November 19, 2012 by | 41 Comments

Many have been debating the use of symbols for months, now. To my knowledge however, one question remains: Which symbols are safe to use, and which ones trigger colorful emojis on iPhones/iPads and in Hotmail/Outlook.com? I put it to the test on emailmarketing.de last week. Here is a summary plus a little add-on.

The (rather) safe symbols list

Here’s my selection of symbols:

■ □ ▢ ▣ ▤ ▥ ▦ ▧ ▨ ▩ ▪ ▫ ▬ ▭ ▮ ▯ ▰ ▱ ▲ △ ▴ ▵ ▶ ▷ ▸ ▹ ► ▻ ▼ ▽ ▾ ▿ ◀ ◁ ◂ ◃ ◄ ◅ ◆ ◇ ◈ ◉ ◊ ○ ◌ ◍ ◎ ● ◐ ◑ ◒ ◓ ◔ ◕ ◖ ◗ ◘ ◙ ◚ ◛ ◜ ◝ ◞ ◟ ◠ ◡ ◢ ◣ ◤ ◥ ◦ ◧ ◨ ◩ ◪ ◫ ◬ ◭ ◮ ◯ ✁ ✂ ✃ ✄ ✆ ✇ ✈ ✉ ✌ ✍ ✎ ✏ ✐ ✑ ✒ ✓ ✔ ✕ ✖ ✗ ✘ ✙ ✚ ✛ ✜ ✝ ✞ ✟ ✠ ✡ ✢ ✣ ✤ ✥ ✦ ✧ ✩ ✪ ✫ ✬ ✭ ✮ ✯ ✰ ✱ ✲ ✳ ✴ ✵ ✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ✺ ✻ ✼ ✽ ✾ ✿ ❀ ❁ ❂ ❃ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❇ ❈ ❉ ❊ ❋ ❍ ❏ ❐ ❑ ❒ ❖ ❘ ❙ ❚ ❛ ❜ ❝ ❞ ❡ ❢ ❣ ❤ ❥ ❦ ❧ ❶ ❷ ❸ ❹ ❺ ❻ ❼ ❽ ❾ ❿ ➀ ➁ ➂ ➃ ➄ ➅ ➆ ➇ ➈ ➉ ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➑ ➒ ➓ ➘ ➙ ➚ ➛ ➜ ➝ ➞ ➟ ➠ ➡ ➢ ➣ ➤ ➥ ➦ ➧ ➨ ➩ ➪ ➫ ➬ ➭ ➮ ➯ ➲ ➳ ➴ ➵ ➶ ➷ ➸ ➹ ➺ ➻ ➼ ➽ ➾ ☀ ☁ ☂ ☃ ☄ ★ ☆ ☇ ☈ ☉ ☊ ☋ ☌ ☍ ☎ ☏ ☐ ☑ ☒ ☓ ☖ ☗ ☚ ☛ ☜ ☝ ☞ ☟ ☠ ☡ ☢ ☣ ☤ ☥ ☦ ☧ ☨ ☩ ☪ ☫ ☬ ☭ ☮ ☯ ☰ ☱ ☲ ☳ ☴ ☵ ☶ ☷ ☸ ☹ ☺ ☻ ☼ ☽ ☾ ☿ ♀ ♁ ♂ ♃ ♄ ♅ ♆ ♇ ♈ ♉ ♊ ♋ ♌ ♍ ♎ ♏ ♐ ♑ ♒ ♓ ♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙ ♚ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟ ♠ ♡ ♢ ♣ ♤ ♥ ♦ ♧ ♨ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮ ♯ ♰ ♱

Why did I choose specifically those?

Well, I generally thought I’d test the Unicode blocks Miscellaneous Symbols, Dingbats, and Geometric shapes. They contain some of the most appropriate and interesting ones to use in email subject lines. So I extracted all the codes from Wikipedia, put the whole list step by step into a subject field within Outlook 2010, and sieved out the ones that showed an error. The erroneous ones obviously didn’t work in Outlook 2007/2010/2013.

Next, I send some tests to Gmail and other email clients, in order to sieve out more. The final results are shown above. So if you want to experiment with symbols, you should pick one from these. They are of course not 100% save across all possible email clients (see e.g. these two screenshots). But it’s better than picking something out of the dark.

iPhone & Hotmail: triggering colored graphics

Next, I wondered what symbols would trigger graphics in the subject lines on iPhones and within Hotmail. In fact, several customers already asked that. And I wasn’t aware of any list on the WWW. (Did I miss something?)

The following screenshots disclose that secret. You see the results on iPhone and iPad on the left, Hotmail and Outlook.com on the right. Compare them with the list above to see, which symbols have been converted by the rendering engines:

Cool stuff, isn’t it? Why not try out…

  • the airplane for travel offers
  • the pencil for dates to write down
  • the phone for announcing a service call
  • the scissors for visualizing coupon cut lines

One last thing to remember: Don’t stuff your subject lines with random symbols. Many are not supported on every device. For example, Outlook 2003 and Lotus don’t show any of them. In addition, below you’ll find two screenshots of the results on an Android 2.2 (left) and on a BlackBerry 5 OS (right). The results don’t satisfy either:

Download the symbol cheat sheet

Comparing a list of about 350 symbols with four screenshots may be a bit confusing and complicated. To make things clearer, I created a little Cheat sheet.

The sheet contains a table showing our safe symbols, emoji graphics on iPhone and in Hotmail (if one is triggered), and support on BlackBerry and Android. It’s a poster – print it out and pin it next to your monitor, when you start experimenting.

(Update: You will also receive a list of static and animated emojis, which you can use in Gmail subject lines.)

The sheet is also free to download. Well, sort of. Forgive me to ask for your email address in exchange. 😉 But hey, I’ll only use it to send you weekly round up with readworthy email marketing articles, which I stumbled upon. No ads, just for fun. If you don’t like it, you can always unsubscribe.

I’ll include the sheet’s download link in the welcome email. (If you got problems with the download, just drop me a line.)

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41 Responses to 358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]

  1. Email Marketing News (@absolit) | November 19, 2012 at 11:31 am | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] http://t.co/jvG3cAvb via @LukeAnker

  2. René Kulka (@LukeAnker) | November 19, 2012 at 1:35 pm | Reply

    358 #symbols tested in #subjectlines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]: http://t.co/L0nApn1C

  3. martin diller (@m_diller) | November 21, 2012 at 9:01 pm | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] | E-Mail Marketing Tipps http://t.co/tru7DmFv

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  6. @Ddekoning | December 3, 2012 at 11:39 am | Reply

    Want to pimp your subject line with a symbol to gain extra attention? Check this out here: http://t.co/CFw1JjIK… #Copernica #Emailmarketing

  7. @twodotscreative | December 6, 2012 at 4:33 pm | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] http://t.co/34VjiUfn via @lukeanker

  8. @sentoriapp | December 7, 2012 at 2:55 pm | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines http://t.co/3iEota88 via @lukeanker

  9. @adi_day | December 9, 2012 at 11:25 am | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] http://t.co/sTQ5N1Uk via @lukeanker

  10. @rutdawson | December 14, 2012 at 11:39 am | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]
    http://t.co/KAp3gV41 @LukeAnker

  11. @smilton | December 14, 2012 at 11:39 am | Reply

    RT @rutdawson: 358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]
    http://t.co/KAp3gV41 @LukeAnker

  12. @DylanMailz | December 14, 2012 at 3:05 pm | Reply

    RT @rutdawson: 358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet]
    http://t.co/KAp3gV41 @LukeAnker

  13. @mailjet | January 15, 2013 at 9:44 am | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] http://t.co/5PGWTyPx

  14. Rebecca Wey | January 16, 2013 at 3:26 pm | Reply

    …Interesting thought. Smiley faces and the like should never be used in a marketing message, but I quite like the idea of some of these symbols being used.

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  16. @yomahayomaso | January 29, 2013 at 1:09 pm | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – iPhone, Hotmail & more [incl. Cheat sheet] http://t.co/OA3bcFVu via @lukeanker

  17. @mu1i | May 20, 2013 at 12:28 am | Reply

    358 symbols tested in subject lines – #emailmarketing #email #digitalmarketing #digital – http://t.co/EoolVuxkNc

  18. @mailermailer | May 20, 2013 at 4:25 pm | Reply

    Cheat sheet: 358 symbols tested in subject lines (iPhone, Hotmail & more!) http://t.co/UaqUgSSIaL #emailmarketing #emailtips

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  22. Andrea | February 2, 2015 at 7:58 pm | Reply

    Thanks for offering this information.

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  24. Jey Harker | March 14, 2015 at 9:12 am | Reply

    …Awsome

  25. Anonymous | April 29, 2015 at 2:59 pm | Reply

    …Thanks

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  27. Amadeo Brands | August 31, 2015 at 8:59 am | Reply

    Great tips I will download thank you 🙂
    Maby you can post an update with the new icons?

  28. Yayin Business Services Pvt Ltd | August 31, 2015 at 8:29 pm | Reply

    gif characters can be added to the subject line?

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  30. Ronak Doshi | September 30, 2015 at 8:52 am | Reply

    …Think from now onwards, My Email will be more attractive then my colleagues. All thanks to this post 🙂

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  33. Diana | December 22, 2015 at 9:36 pm | Reply

    Thank you so much for providing this cheat sheet. I look forward to using it on my emails! 🙂

  34. Anonymous | February 12, 2016 at 1:29 pm | Reply

    Thank you, that’s really useful!

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  36. Lucia | June 9, 2016 at 1:19 pm | Reply

    great help and martketing tips 🙂

  37. Kristine | August 16, 2016 at 3:14 am | Reply

    Hey, am already subscribed but still didn’t receive your email. Do you still sending newsletter?

    Thanks

  38. dr | December 16, 2016 at 3:19 pm | Reply

    … thank you

  39. Atul Host | January 23, 2018 at 3:03 pm | Reply

    Thanks. All of them are working as suggested. I was always looking for it.

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