How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that almost everyone needs occasionally — whether you're writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, or angles — but it doesn't appear on any standard keyboard key. That gap between "I need this symbol" and "I have no idea how to get it" is frustrating, and the answer depends heavily on which device and operating system you're using.

Here's a clear breakdown of every reliable method, across every major platform.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow the QWERTY layout, which was designed around the most frequently typed characters in everyday writing. Symbols like °, ©, and ™ didn't make the cut for dedicated keys. Instead, operating systems provide several workarounds — keyboard shortcuts, character maps, and input method tricks — to access them when needed.

Which method works best for you depends on your OS, your keyboard type (full-size with numpad vs. compact laptop keyboard), and how often you need the symbol.

Windows: Three Ways to Type °

Method 1: Alt Code (Requires a Number Pad)

If you have a full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad, this is the fastest method once you know it:

1. Click into the text field where you want the symbol
2. Hold Alt
3. Type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top row numbers)
4. Release Alt

The ° symbol appears immediately. This only works with Num Lock enabled and with the dedicated numpad — the number row across the top of the keyboard won't work here.

Method 2: Character Map (No Numpad Needed)

Windows includes a built-in utility called Character Map:

1. Press Windows key, type Character Map, and open it
2. Search for "degree" or scroll to find °
3. Click it, hit Select, then Copy
4. Paste it wherever you need it

This is slower but works on any Windows machine, including compact laptops without a numpad.

Method 3: Copy-Paste or AutoCorrect Shortcut

Many users simply keep ° copied to their clipboard or set up an AutoCorrect rule in Word or Outlook:

• In Microsoft Word: Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, find °, and assign it a keyboard shortcut or AutoCorrect trigger (e.g., type deg and have it auto-replace with °)

Mac: The Quickest Method of All 🍎

On macOS, typing the degree symbol is genuinely simple:

Option + Shift + 8 = °

That's it. It works system-wide in almost every text field — notes, emails, browsers, documents. Mac users with this shortcut memorized rarely think twice about the degree symbol.

Alternatively, you can use the Character Viewer:

1. Press Control + Command + Space
2. Search for "degree"
3. Double-click to insert

iPhone and iPad: It's Hidden on the Keyboard

The degree symbol is accessible on iOS without any extra apps:

1. Open any text field and bring up the keyboard
2. Tap the 123 key to switch to numbers
3. Press and hold the zero (0) key
4. A popup appears with °
5. Slide to it and release

It's not labeled anywhere — you have to know to hold the zero. This is the kind of hidden shortcut that surprises most iPhone users when they first discover it.

Android: Similar, with Some Variation

Most Android devices follow a similar pattern:

1. Open the keyboard and switch to the numeric/symbol view
2. Long-press the 0 key

Depending on your keyboard app — Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc. — the degree symbol either appears as a long-press option on 0 or can be found in a secondary symbols panel. If your default keyboard doesn't surface it easily, Gboard reliably includes ° under a long-press on 0.

Chromebook

On a Chromebook, there's no Alt code support in the traditional sense. Your options:

• Use the Unicode input method: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b0, then press Enter
• Or simply copy-paste ° from any source

The Unicode method works in most text fields and is the closest thing Chromebook has to a native shortcut.

Quick Reference Table

The Variables That Change Your Answer

Even with the table above, which method is actually practical for you depends on a few things:

• Keyboard size: Compact laptops and 60%/75% mechanical keyboards often lack a numpad entirely, making the Windows Alt code unavailable without an external numpad
• How often you need it: Someone writing scientific papers daily has different needs than someone typing one temperature reference per month
• Which apps you use: Word and Google Docs both have built-in symbol insertion tools; plain text editors don't
• Keyboard app on mobile: Third-party keyboards handle long-press symbols differently, and not all surface ° in the same place

The shortcut that's "best" shifts depending on whether you're on a desktop workstation, a thin-and-light laptop, a phone, or switching between all three throughout your day. The method that becomes second nature is the one that fits into how you already work — and that's the detail only your own setup can answer. 🔍