How to Hide Number Input Spin Buttons in HTML and CSS

By the end of this page, you will understand how browser spin buttons work on <input type="number">, how to hide them with CSS in common browsers, what limitations exist, and when it may be better to use a different input type altogether.

<input type="number"> is an HTML form control designed for numeric input. Many browsers add built-in UI controls such as small up/down arrows, often called spin buttons or spinners, to let users increase or decrease the value.

These controls are part of the browser's native rendering of the input. That means:

• They are not plain HTML elements you can directly remove.
• Styling them is often browser-specific.
• There is no single universal CSS rule that works identically everywhere.

Why this matters:

• You may want a cleaner design without browser-provided arrows.
• Different browsers render number inputs differently.
• Form controls often require vendor-prefixed CSS for consistent appearance.

A common solution is:

• Use appearance-related CSS where supported.
• Target WebKit/Blink pseudo-elements for Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
• Adjust Mozilla appearance rules for Firefox.

Even after hiding the visible spin buttons, the input is still usually a number field. It may still:

• accept numeric validation,
• respond to arrow keys,
• respond to mouse wheel changes in some cases.

So hiding the arrows changes the appearance, not necessarily all number-input behavior.

Think of <input type="number"> like a standard numeric text box wrapped in a browser-made control panel.

The browser may attach tiny built-in buttons to the side. You cannot always remove the whole control panel in one standard way, but you can often tell each browser: render this more like a plain text field.

So the goal is not "delete these HTML elements" but rather "ask the browser to display this native control differently."

The most common CSS approach is to target browser-specific appearance rules.

<input id="test" type="number">

/* Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera */
input[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button,
input[type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button {
  -webkit-appearance: none;
  margin: 0;
}

/* Firefox */
input[type="number"] {
  -moz-appearance: textfield;
}

What this does

• ::-webkit-inner-spin-button and ::-webkit-outer-spin-button target the spinner controls in WebKit/Blink-based browsers.
• -webkit-appearance: none; hides those controls.
• margin: 0; helps remove extra spacing left behind in some browsers.
• -moz-appearance: textfield; makes Firefox render the number input more like a regular text field.

More modern version

Some projects also add the standard property:

Consider this example:

<input id="qty" type="number" value="3">

input[type="number"] {
  -moz-appearance: textfield;
  appearance: textfield;
}

input[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button,
input[type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button {
  -webkit-appearance: none;
  margin: 0;
}

Here is what happens step by step:

1. The browser reads the HTML and creates a number input.
2. Because the input is type="number", the browser may decide to render built-in spin buttons.
3. The CSS selector input[type="number"] matches the field itself.
4. appearance: textfield and -moz-appearance: textfield tell supporting browsers to display it more like a normal text box.
5. In WebKit/Blink browsers, the pseudo-elements ::-webkit-outer-spin-button and ::-webkit-inner-spin-button match the spinner UI parts.

Developers hide number-input spin buttons in cases like these:

• Custom design systems: the browser arrows do not match the app's visual style.
• Mobile-friendly forms: the team wants a cleaner field and relies on native numeric keyboards instead.
• Checkout forms: quantity, ZIP code, OTP, or pricing fields may need a simpler appearance.
• Admin dashboards: numeric filters and settings inputs may use custom increment/decrement buttons instead of native ones.
• Embedded widgets: compact UIs often remove default controls to save space.

Example scenarios:

• A shopping cart uses custom + and - buttons around a quantity input.
• A finance form accepts amounts but wants all fields to look visually identical.
• A settings page uses JavaScript validation and prefers a uniform style across browsers.

In real projects, developers usually do more than just hide the arrows.

Common patterns

• Design-system reset: remove browser-specific styling so all form fields start from a predictable baseline.
• Guarded validation: keep type="number" for browser validation, but add custom checks for range, decimals, or required values.
• Custom controls: hide native spinners and provide separate increment/decrement buttons.
• Input constraints: combine min, max, and step with styling.
• Event handling: prevent accidental wheel-based changes in fields like prices or quantities.

Example: custom quantity field

<div class="quantity-control">
  <button type="button" id="decrease">-</button>
  <input id="quantity" type="number" min="1" value="1">
  <button = =>+

1. Expecting one universal CSS rule

A beginner might try:

input[type="number"] {
  display: textfield;
}

This does not work because display is the wrong property.

Use browser appearance properties instead.

2. Forgetting browser-specific pseudo-elements

Broken example:

input[type="number"]::spin-button {
  display: none;
}

There is no standard ::spin-button selector for this use case.

Use:

input[type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button,
input[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button {
  -webkit-appearance: none;
}

3. Hiding the arrows but forgetting behavior still exists

Even if the arrows are hidden:

• arrow keys may still change the value,
• the mouse wheel may still change the value,
• validation rules still apply.

If you need to stop wheel changes, you may add JavaScript:

<input type="number">

/* Firefox */
input[type="number"] {
  appearance: textfield;
  -moz-appearance: textfield;
}

/* Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera */
input[type="number"]::-webkit-outer-spin-button,
input[type="number"]::-webkit-inner-spin-button {
  -webkit-appearance: none;
  margin: 0;
}

Key points

• Spin buttons are browser-native UI.
• There is no single fully universal CSS rule.
• WebKit/Blink browsers use ::-webkit-inner-spin-button and ::-webkit-outer-spin-button.
• Firefox often uses -moz-appearance: textfield.
• Hiding arrows does not remove number input behavior.
• If needed, use JavaScript to stop wheel-based changes.
• Test in real browsers before shipping.

Can I completely remove number input spin buttons in every browser with one CSS rule?

No. Native form controls are browser-specific, so you usually need different CSS rules for different engines.

Does hiding the arrows change the input from a number field into a text field?

No. It still remains type="number" unless you change the HTML.

Why do the arrows disappear in one browser but not another?

Because browsers render native controls differently and support different appearance properties and pseudo-elements.

Should I use JavaScript to hide the spin buttons?

Usually no. CSS is the normal approach for hiding the visible controls. JavaScript is more useful for changing behavior, such as preventing wheel-based value changes.

Is type="text" better if I want full styling control?

Sometimes, yes. But you lose built-in numeric validation and number semantics, so you must replace that behavior yourself.

Can users still change the value with the keyboard after I hide the arrows?

Often yes. Hiding the visible buttons does not necessarily disable arrow-key behavior.

Do hidden spin buttons affect accessibility?

They can. If you remove native controls, make sure users still have a clear and usable way to enter or adjust numeric values.

• input type="number" — the core HTML control being styled.
• CSS appearance — used to change how native controls are rendered.
• Vendor-prefixed CSS — important because browser-specific rules are needed here.
• Form validation — relevant because number inputs still enforce numeric constraints.
• min, max, and step attributes — common number-input settings.
• Pseudo-elements — used in WebKit/Blink to target spinner parts.
• Custom form controls — useful when replacing native spinners with your own UI.
• JavaScript event handling — helpful when preventing wheel or keyboard-based changes.