How to Use the Unicode Detector
Paste or type a passage into the text box. The Unicode detector scans it as you type, highlights code points outside basic ASCII in the passage, and updates the results immediately. You can use it as a Unicode checker for copied text, names, messages, or strings you are preparing for a form or application.
- Enter or paste text in the input box.
- Compare the highlighted passage with your original text.
- Use the results table to review each distinct character, its U+ code point, how often it appears, and its position.
What Does a Unicode Character Detector Find?
Unicode includes the characters used by modern writing systems, symbols, punctuation, and emoji. ASCII is part of Unicode too. This tool focuses on code points outside basic ASCII, from U+0080 onward, and identifies them as non-ASCII characters. It checks the actual text you enter; it does not guess a file's encoding or decide whether a character is allowed by a particular website or program.
The scan can find accented letters such as é (U+00E9), typographic marks
such as an em dash (U+2014), characters from other scripts such as 東
(U+6771), and emoji such as 😊 (U+1F60A). These are examples of valid
Unicode characters; being non-ASCII does not make a character incorrect or unsafe.
Unicode Code Points and Visible Characters
A code point is a number assigned to a character in the Unicode Standard. The table shows
that value in hexadecimal form, written as U+ followed by digits. For
example, the basic Latin capital letter A is U+0041. The first 128 code points,
U+0000 through U+007F, are the basic ASCII range and are not highlighted by this tool.
A code point is not always the same as one character as a person sees it on screen. For example, an accented letter may be stored as one precomposed code point or as a base letter followed by a combining mark. Some emoji also use several code points joined together. This detector counts and lists code points individually, so the code point total can be larger than the number of visible characters. Positions in the table start at 1 and are counted by code point.
When Should You Check Text for Unicode Characters?
A Unicode check is useful when text looks different from what you expected, when a system accepts only a limited set of characters, or when two strings that look alike behave differently. It can help you inspect text copied from a document, spreadsheet, website, or messaging app. The highlight shows where non-ASCII code points appear, and the table helps you compare their values and positions.
Do not remove every non-ASCII character automatically. Accents, non-English writing systems, curly quotation marks, and emoji may be exactly what your text needs. First check which code point is present, then decide whether it is appropriate for the system or format you are using.
Unicode Detector FAQ
Does ASCII count as Unicode?
Yes. ASCII characters are included in Unicode. This detector highlights code points above U+007F, so ordinary basic ASCII letters, digits, and punctuation are not listed.
Will an emoji count as one character?
An emoji can be made from more than one Unicode code point. The detector lists and counts those code points individually, even when they appear together as one visible emoji.
Does a non-ASCII character always make an SMS use Unicode encoding?
No. Some characters outside ASCII are supported by the GSM 7-bit alphabet, while others require Unicode encoding and can affect message segment counts. Check a message with our SMS Counter for its encoding and segment estimate.
Does the Unicode detector change or upload my text?
No. The detector only displays the results in your browser. It does not change or remove characters, and the text is not sent to a server for analysis.
Can this tool show a character's official Unicode name?
This tool shows the character, its code point, its count, and its positions. To look up a character in more detail, use our Character Identifier. For hidden formatting marks and zero-width characters, try the Invisible Character Detector.
Related Text Tools
For a broader text check, visit our Character Counter to count characters, words, and more. You can also use the Character Identifier to look up an individual symbol, or the Invisible Character Detector to focus on hidden characters.