How to Make the Degree Symbol on a Keyboard (Every Platform Covered)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that almost everyone needs occasionally but almost nobody knows how to type quickly. Whether you're writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, or angle measurements, hunting through character maps every time is a frustrating waste of time. The good news: there's a keyboard shortcut or method for every major platform. The bad news: the method varies significantly depending on your operating system, keyboard layout, and what app you're typing in.

What Exactly Is the Degree Symbol?

The degree symbol (°) is a typographic character used to represent degrees of temperature (32°F, 100°C), angles (90°), and geographic coordinates. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the superscript letter "o" — both of which look similar but are technically different characters.

Its Unicode value is U+00B0, and its HTML entity is ° or °. Knowing this matters when the keyboard shortcut fails and you need a reliable fallback.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows ⌨️

Windows offers several methods depending on how your keyboard is configured.

Using Alt Codes (Numeric Keypad Required)

The most widely known method on Windows uses Alt codes:

• Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row)
• Release Alt — the ° symbol appears

This requires Num Lock to be on and a keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad. Laptop users without a numpad often find this method unavailable or awkward using the Fn-key numpad layer.

Using the Windows Emoji Panel

Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in character panel:

1. Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ;
2. Click the Symbols category (the omega Ω icon)
3. Navigate to Math symbols or search "degree"
4. Click ° to insert it

This works in most text fields and doesn't require a numpad.

Using Character Map

The Character Map app (search for it in the Start menu) lets you browse and copy any Unicode character. It's slower than a shortcut but reliable for occasional use.

Typing the Unicode Code Directly (Word and Some Apps)

In Microsoft Word specifically, you can type the Unicode value and convert it:

• Type 00B0, then press Alt + X
• Word converts the code to °

This only works in Word and a handful of apps that support Unicode input conversion.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

macOS makes this notably simpler:

• Press Shift + Option + 8 → °

That's it. It works system-wide in virtually every text field, app, and browser. No mode switching, no numpad dependency. This is one of those cases where macOS keyboard shortcuts feel genuinely well-designed.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

iOS and iPadOS hide the degree symbol in the keyboard's number/symbol layer:

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to numbers
2. Long-press (press and hold) the 0 (zero) key
3. A popup appears with the ° symbol
4. Slide your finger to it and release

This gesture is consistent across iOS versions, though some third-party keyboards handle it differently.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android's behavior varies more than iOS because of manufacturer overlays (Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, etc.) and third-party keyboards like Gboard or SwiftKey.

On Gboard (common across most Android devices):

1. Tap ?123 to open the symbol keyboard
2. Long-press the 0 (zero) key
3. The ° symbol appears as an option

On some keyboards, the degree symbol sits in a dedicated symbols panel rather than as a long-press option. If long-pressing zero doesn't work on your device, look for a =< or ☺ key that accesses extended symbols.

How to Type the Degree Symbol in Browsers and Web Apps

If you're typing into a web form or document editor like Google Docs:

• Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → Search "degree" → click °
• Any browser on Mac: Shift + Option + 8 works natively
• Any browser on Windows: The emoji panel shortcut (Win + .) works in most fields
• HTML/code editors: Use the entity ° or the numeric reference °

Quick Reference Table

The Variables That Change Your Experience

Several factors determine which method actually works for you:

• Keyboard type: Full-size keyboards with a numeric keypad unlock Alt codes on Windows. Compact and laptop keyboards often don't have a true numpad.
• Operating system version: Older Windows versions may lack the emoji panel shortcut; older Android versions may have different keyboard layouts.
• Third-party keyboards: Apps like SwiftKey, Fleksy, or custom OEM keyboards may place symbols differently from stock keyboards.
• Input context: Some apps intercept keyboard shortcuts, meaning a shortcut that works in a browser might not work inside a game, terminal, or specialized editor.
• Language/locale settings: Non-English keyboard layouts may place symbols in different positions or require different modifier key combinations.

When Shortcuts Don't Work

If no shortcut is functioning reliably, copy-paste from a Unicode source is a perfectly valid fallback. Typing degree symbol into a search engine and copying from the results is fast, consistent, and works across every device and app without any technical knowledge required. ✓

For frequent use — technical writers, engineers, educators — many users set up a text replacement shortcut in their OS (e.g., typing deg auto-expands to °). Both macOS and Windows support custom text replacements in their system settings, and iOS/Android have similar features in keyboard settings.

The right approach depends heavily on how often you need the symbol, what device you're primarily working on, and whether the built-in shortcuts function in the specific apps you use most.