How to Make the Degree Sign on Any Device or Keyboard

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that doesn't live on a standard keyboard key, yet people need it constantly: for temperatures, coordinates, angles, and more. Whether you're typing on Windows, macOS, a smartphone, or inside a specific app, the method varies. Here's a complete breakdown of how to produce it across different setups.

What Is the Degree Sign, Technically?

The degree symbol (°) is a Unicode character with the code point U+00B0. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the superscript letter "o" — though all three look similar on screen. Using the correct character matters when data is being parsed, exported, or read by software that interprets formatting.

Most operating systems and apps support it natively, but accessing it depends on your input method.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Windows

Windows offers several routes depending on your workflow and how often you need the symbol.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut (Numpad Required)

If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, hold Alt and type 0176 on the numpad (not the number row). Release Alt, and ° appears. This is the classic Windows Alt code method and works in most text fields.

Important: Num Lock must be enabled for this to work. It will not function on laptops without a dedicated numpad unless you enable the virtual numpad through Fn key combinations.

Using the Emoji & Symbol Panel

Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; (semicolon) to open the emoji and symbol panel. Switch to the Symbols tab, browse to the Latin characters section, and you'll find the degree symbol there. Works in any modern app on Windows 10 or 11.

Using Character Map

Search for Character Map in the Start menu. Find the degree sign, click it, copy, and paste. More steps than the other methods, but useful if you need to grab several special characters at once.

Copy-Paste from a Document or Browser

Practical but worth mentioning: searching "degree symbol" in a browser returns the character almost immediately in most search engines, and you can copy it directly.

How to Type the Degree Sign on macOS

Keyboard Shortcut

On a Mac, the shortcut is Option + Shift + 8. This works system-wide in virtually any text field — documents, browsers, spreadsheets, terminal windows. It's reliable and fast once memorized.

Character Viewer

Go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols in most apps (or press Control + Command + Space) to open the Character Viewer. Search "degree" and it appears immediately. Double-clicking inserts it at the cursor position.

How to Type the Degree Sign on iPhone and iPad 📱

iOS doesn't require any special setting — the degree symbol is accessible directly from the keyboard.

1. Open the keyboard and tap 123 to switch to the numbers layout.
2. Press and hold the zero (0) key.
3. A popup will appear with the degree symbol (°).
4. Slide your finger to it and release.

This works in any text input on iOS, including messages, notes, and third-party apps.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Android

The process is similar to iOS but varies slightly depending on your keyboard app.

On Gboard (Google's default keyboard):

1. Switch to the number layout by tapping ?123.
2. Long-press the 0 key.
3. The degree symbol appears as an option in the popup.

On Samsung Keyboard:

1. Tap the sym key to access symbols.
2. The degree symbol (°) is typically visible in the first or second panel.

Third-party keyboard apps like SwiftKey handle it similarly — long-pressing 0 is the most common shortcut across Android keyboards.

How to Insert the Degree Sign in Specific Apps

Microsoft Word and Excel

In Word, go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set the font to Normal Text, and search for "degree." You can also use Insert > Symbol to assign it a keyboard shortcut within Word itself.

In Excel, the Alt+0176 method (Windows) works directly in cells. On Mac, Option+Shift+8 works as expected.

Google Docs

Use Insert > Special Characters, then search "degree." Google Docs also supports the OS-level shortcuts — Option+Shift+8 on Mac and Alt+0176 on Windows work inside Docs.

HTML and Web Development

If you're coding a webpage, don't paste the symbol directly into HTML unless your file encoding is set to UTF-8. The safer approach is to use the HTML entity:

• ° renders as °
• ° is the numeric equivalent

Both are universally supported in browsers.

Comparing Methods at a Glance 🖥️

The Variables That Change Your Best Method

Which approach makes the most sense depends on factors specific to your setup:

• Keyboard type — Full-size keyboards with a numpad open up Alt codes on Windows; compact and laptop keyboards make that route awkward or unavailable.
• Operating system version — Older versions of Windows and macOS may not support the emoji panel shortcut or handle Unicode input the same way.
• App context — A keyboard shortcut that works in a browser might not register in a legacy desktop application or a game with captured input.
• Frequency of use — If you type the degree symbol dozens of times a day (technical writers, engineers, meteorologists), a memorized shortcut or a text-expansion tool is worth setting up. Occasional users may prefer copy-paste.
• Keyboard app on mobile — Android especially varies here, since different keyboard apps lay out the symbol panel differently.

The "best" method is less about which one is objectively fastest in a vacuum and more about which one fits your device, your apps, and how often you need it. Someone writing HTML has a different optimal path than someone texting weather updates on an iPhone — even if they're both trying to produce the same character. °