How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that almost everyone needs at some point — whether you're writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, or angles in a math document — but it doesn't have a dedicated key on standard keyboards. The good news is that every major operating system has at least one reliable way to insert it. The method that works best for you depends on your device, OS, and how often you need it.

Why There's No Dedicated Degree Key

Standard keyboard layouts — including QWERTY, AZERTY, and others — were designed around the most frequently typed characters. Symbols like °, ©, and ™ didn't make the cut for dedicated keys, so they live in secondary layers accessible through key combinations, character maps, or input method editors.

The approach you'll use varies significantly depending on whether you're on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or a Linux system.

Typing the Degree Symbol on Windows ⌨️

Windows gives you several options, ranging from quick keyboard shortcuts to a full character map tool.

Alt Code Method (Numpad Required)

The most direct shortcut on Windows is the Alt code:

1. Make sure Num Lock is on
2. Hold Alt
3. Type 0176 on the numeric keypad
4. Release Alt

The ° symbol will appear wherever your cursor is positioned. This only works with the numeric keypad on the right side of a full keyboard — the number row at the top won't work for this method.

Windows Emoji Panel

On Windows 10 and 11, press Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol panel. Switch to the Symbols tab, navigate to the symbols section, and you'll find the degree symbol listed there.

Character Map App

Search for Character Map in the Start menu. Find the degree symbol (°), click it, and copy it to your clipboard. This is slower but useful if you need to find multiple special characters at once.

Copy-Paste Shortcut Workaround

Many users simply keep a text file with common symbols saved and copy from it as needed — a low-tech but practical solution for occasional use.

Typing the Degree Symbol on macOS

Mac keyboards make this one of the more straightforward shortcuts across any platform:

• Press Option + Shift + 8

That's it. The ° symbol appears immediately, no number pad required. This works system-wide in almost any app that accepts text input.

Alternatively, you can go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space) to open the character viewer and search for "degree."

Typing the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

On iOS, the degree symbol is tucked into the standard keyboard:

1. Tap and hold the zero (0) key on the number row
2. A popup will appear with the ° symbol
3. Slide your finger to it and release

This works in any app using the default iOS keyboard. Third-party keyboards may have different methods or may not include it at all.

Typing the Degree Symbol on Android

Android varies more than iOS because manufacturers and keyboard apps customize the experience differently. On most devices using Gboard (Google's keyboard):

1. Switch to the number and symbol view (tap ?123)
2. Look for ° directly on that screen, or tap =< for additional symbols
3. On some keyboards, long-pressing the 0 key will also reveal °

Samsung's keyboard, SwiftKey, and other third-party apps each have their own symbol layouts, so the exact steps may differ slightly from device to device.

Typing the Degree Symbol on Linux

Linux users have a few flexible options depending on the desktop environment:

• Compose key method: If a Compose key is configured, press Compose + o + o to produce °
• Unicode input: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b0, then press Enter
• Character map utilities: GNOME and KDE both include character map applications

The Unicode input method is the most universally reliable across Linux distributions.

Quick Reference Table

When the Shortcut Doesn't Work

A few common reasons a method might fail:

• Num Lock is off — Alt codes on Windows require Num Lock enabled
• You're using a laptop without a numpad — the Alt code method won't work; use the emoji panel instead
• The app overrides keyboard shortcuts — some design tools, games, or productivity apps intercept key combinations before the OS can act on them
• A third-party keyboard is active on mobile — the symbol may be in a different location or missing

How Frequency of Use Changes the Best Approach 🔁

If you type the degree symbol occasionally, a quick copy-paste or the emoji panel is perfectly reasonable. If you use it frequently — writing scientific content, working with temperature data, or drafting geography materials — learning the keyboard shortcut for your specific platform will save real time.

Power users working across multiple platforms sometimes configure text expansion tools (like AutoHotkey on Windows or Keyboard Maestro on Mac) to automatically replace a typed shorthand like *deg* with °. This approach adds a small setup step upfront but eliminates the need to remember different shortcuts per device.

The right method ultimately depends on how often you need the symbol, which devices you work across, and how much effort you're willing to invest in a one-time setup versus reaching for a workaround each time.