How to Type a Degree Sign on Any Keyboard (°)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters you rarely need until you suddenly need it constantly. Whether you're typing a temperature, an angle measurement, or geographic coordinates, it's not sitting on any standard key. Here's exactly how to produce it across every major platform and setup.

Why the Degree Sign Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow the QWERTY layout, which prioritizes the most frequently typed characters in everyday writing. Symbols like °, ©, or ™ are used often enough to matter but not often enough to earn a dedicated key. Instead, operating systems and software provide several workarounds — and which one works best depends entirely on your device, OS, and how often you need the symbol.

How to Type a Degree Sign on Windows

Windows gives you multiple methods depending on your workflow.

Using Alt Codes (Numeric Keypad Required)

The classic Windows method uses Alt codes — hold Alt, type a number sequence on the numeric keypad, then release.

• Alt + 0176 produces: °

This only works with the dedicated numeric keypad (the number cluster on the right side of a full-size keyboard). It will not work with the number row across the top, and it won't work on most laptop keyboards unless you activate the hidden numeric keypad using Fn + NumLk.

Using the Character Map

Windows includes a built-in Character Map utility:

1. Press Windows key + R, type charmap, and hit Enter
2. Find the degree symbol in the grid
3. Click Select, then Copy
4. Paste it wherever you need it

Slow for regular use, but reliable when you just need it once.

Using the Emoji & Symbol Panel

On Windows 10 and 11, press Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji and symbols panel. Switch to the Symbols tab and search for "degree." It's fast once you know it's there.

Copy-Paste the Unicode Character

The degree symbol has a Unicode code point of U+00B0. In Microsoft Word and some other apps, you can type 00B0 then press Alt + X to convert it inline.

How to Type a Degree Sign on Mac

Mac handles this more elegantly.

Keyboard Shortcut

The standard Mac shortcut is:

Option + Shift + 8 → °

That's it. It works system-wide in almost every app. No numeric keypad, no workarounds.

Using the Character Viewer

If you want to find it manually:

1. Go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space)
2. Search for "degree"
3. Double-click to insert

How to Type a Degree Sign on iPhone and Android 📱

Mobile keyboards don't have an obvious degree symbol either, but it's tucked away.

iPhone (iOS)

1. Open the keyboard and tap the 123 key to switch to the numbers layout
2. Tap and hold the 0 (zero) key
3. A pop-up will appear with the ° symbol
4. Slide your finger to select it

Android

The process varies slightly by keyboard app, but the most common method:

1. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (usually labeled ?123 or 123)
2. Look for a second symbols page (often =< or 1/2)
3. The ° symbol appears there on many layouts

Some Android keyboards, including Gboard, also let you long-press the 0 key just like iOS.

How to Type a Degree Sign in Specific Software

The Variable That Changes Everything: Your Keyboard Layout 🔑

Most of the methods above assume a US QWERTY layout. If you're using a different keyboard layout — UK, AZERTY (French), QWERTZ (German), or any regional variant — some shortcuts may differ or produce different characters.

UK keyboards, for example, have slightly different symbol placement, and some regional layouts include the degree symbol as a direct shifted character on one of the number keys. If you're on a non-US layout and these shortcuts aren't working, checking the character map or your OS's keyboard input settings will show you what's actually mapped where.

Similarly, compact and tenkeyless keyboards eliminate the numeric keypad entirely, which cuts off the Alt code method for Windows users. Laptop keyboards often fall into this category.

Degrees vs. Ordinal Indicator: A Common Mix-Up

Worth flagging: the degree symbol (°) and the masculine ordinal indicator (º) look nearly identical but are different characters. The ordinal indicator appears in Spanish and Portuguese text (e.g., 1º). If you're copying from a source or using a character map, make sure you're selecting U+00B0 (degree sign), not U+00BA (masculine ordinal indicator). In most fonts the difference is subtle, but in data-sensitive contexts — math, science, coding — it matters.

Which Method Actually Fits Your Situation

The "right" method depends on factors that vary person to person: whether you're on Windows or Mac, what kind of keyboard you're using, how often you need the symbol, and what software you're working in. A developer writing HTML has a cleaner solution than someone typing a one-off temperature in an email. A Mac user has a simpler path than a Windows laptop user without a numeric keypad. Understanding the full range of options is step one — but which one belongs in your workflow depends on your own setup.