How to Type a Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard (°)
The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that doesn't live on any standard key — yet you need it constantly for temperatures, coordinates, angles, and more. The method you use depends entirely on your operating system, device type, and how often you need it.
What Is the Degree Symbol?
The degree symbol (°) is a typographic character used to represent degrees of temperature (°C, °F), geographic coordinates, and angles in mathematics or engineering. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the superscript letter "o" — though they look nearly identical on screen, only the true degree symbol (Unicode character U+00B0) is technically correct in most formal contexts.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows
Windows offers several methods depending on your workflow.
Alt Code (Numeric Keypad Required)
Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers), then release Alt. The ° symbol appears.
This only works if:
- You're using a full-size keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad
- Num Lock is turned on
Laptop users without a numpad often find this method unreliable or impossible without enabling a software numpad layer.
Character Map
Search for Character Map in the Start menu, find the degree symbol, and copy-paste it. Slow, but always works regardless of keyboard layout.
Windows Emoji Panel
Press Win + . (Windows key + period) to open the emoji and symbol panel. Switch to the Omega (Ω) symbols tab, search "degree," and click to insert. Works in most modern apps on Windows 10 and 11.
Copy-Paste from a Previous Document
Many users simply keep ° in a text snippet tool or clipboard history. If you enable Clipboard History (Win + V), you can store frequently used symbols and paste them instantly.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac
Mac makes this straightforward with a keyboard shortcut:
Option + Shift + 8 = °
This works system-wide in virtually every macOS app — word processors, browsers, email, terminal, everywhere. It's the fastest method if you're on a Mac and use it regularly.
Alternatively, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "degree," and insert from there.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone or iPad 📱
On iOS:
- Open the keyboard
- Press and hold the zero (0) key
- A popup appears with the degree symbol (°)
- Slide to select it
This is the intended method on iOS and works in any text field. There's no need to install anything or change keyboard settings.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android
Android behavior varies more by manufacturer and keyboard app.
On most stock Android keyboards:
- Switch to the numbers view (tap "123")
- Long-press the zero (0) key
- The degree symbol should appear as an option
On Gboard (Google's keyboard), this method works consistently. On Samsung's default keyboard or third-party apps like SwiftKey, the location may differ slightly — some place ° in the symbols menu (#+=) rather than on the zero key.
How to Type the Degree Symbol in Specific Applications
| Environment | Method |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Insert → Symbol → find ° / or use Alt+0176 |
| Google Docs | Insert → Special Characters → search "degree" |
| Excel | Alt+0176 or paste via Character Map |
| HTML | Use ° or ° |
| LaTeX | Use ^circ or the gensymb package with degree |
| Python / code | Use Unicode escape u00b0 |
HTML and coding environments deserve special attention — pasting a visual ° into source code is technically fine in UTF-8 files, but using the explicit escape is more portable and readable in collaborative codebases.
Why the "Right" Method Varies by Setup 🔧
Here's where individual setup matters more than any single recommendation:
Keyboard type is the first variable. A full-size desktop keyboard with a numpad makes Alt codes viable. A compact 65% mechanical keyboard, a laptop keyboard, or a Bluetooth travel keyboard may not have a numpad at all — making the same method completely unavailable.
Operating system changes everything. Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux each handle character input differently, and shortcuts that work perfectly on one platform don't exist on another.
Application context adds another layer. A shortcut that inserts ° into a Word document may do nothing in a browser text field, a terminal window, or a design app like Figma or Illustrator.
Frequency of use shapes which method is worth learning. Someone who types temperatures dozens of times daily will benefit from memorizing Option+Shift+8 on Mac or setting up a text replacement rule. Someone who needs ° once a month is better served by copy-paste.
Text replacement or macro tools — apps like AutoHotkey (Windows), Keyboard Maestro (Mac), or built-in text replacement in iOS/Android settings — let you type a short trigger like deg and have it automatically expand to °. This approach is invisible once configured, and works across every app on your device.
The same symbol, multiple valid paths. Which one actually fits depends on the keyboard in front of you, the software you're working in, and how often the need comes up.