How to Type a Degree Sign on Any Device or Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters you rarely think about — until you need it. Whether you're writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, or angles in math, that small superscript circle carries real meaning. The good news: every major device and operating system has a way to produce it. The method that works best for you depends on what you're working on and how often you need it.

What the Degree Sign Actually Is

The degree symbol is a standardized Unicode character — U+00B0 — recognized across virtually all modern operating systems, browsers, and apps. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the ring above diacritic (˚), which look similar but are different characters with different uses. If you copy a degree sign from an unreliable source, you may accidentally paste the wrong one.

When accuracy matters — in scientific writing, engineering documents, or published content — it's worth knowing how to insert the genuine character, not just something that looks close.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Windows

Windows offers several methods, and the right one depends on your keyboard and workflow.

Using a keyboard shortcut (numpad required): Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers). Release Alt and ° appears. This only works if your keyboard has a dedicated numpad and Num Lock is on.

Using the Character Map: Search for "Character Map" in the Start menu, find the degree symbol, and copy it. Slow, but reliable on any keyboard.

Using Windows emoji panel: Press Win + . (period) to open the emoji and symbols panel. Search for "degree" and insert it directly. This works in most text fields across Windows 10 and 11.

In Microsoft Word specifically: Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, find the degree sign, and insert it. You can also assign it a custom keyboard shortcut within Word.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Mac

Mac makes this fairly straightforward with a dedicated shortcut:

Press Option + Shift + 8 — this inserts ° directly in most macOS apps, including Pages, TextEdit, and most browsers.

Alternatively, you can use the Character Viewer: go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space), search for "degree," and double-click to insert.

How to Type the Degree Sign on iPhone and iPad 📱

There's no dedicated degree key on the iOS keyboard, but it's accessible:

1. Open the standard keyboard
2. Press and hold the zero (0) key
3. A popup will appear showing the degree symbol (°)
4. Slide your finger to it and release

This works in most iOS text fields — messages, notes, email, and more. If you type it frequently, you can create a text replacement shortcut under Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement — for example, typing "deg" auto-expands to °.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Android

Android keyboards vary by manufacturer and app, but the most common path is:

1. Switch to the numbers and symbols keyboard (usually by tapping ?123 or !#1)
2. Look for the degree symbol directly, or tap a secondary symbols key to find it

On many Android devices with Gboard installed, you can also long-press the zero (0) to reveal the degree symbol — similar to iOS behavior. If your keyboard doesn't show it, copy-pasting from a reliable reference is a practical workaround.

How to Insert a Degree Sign in HTML and Code

If you're building a webpage or writing in HTML, there are two clean ways to include the degree sign without relying on copy-paste:

Using named or numeric HTML entities ensures the correct character renders consistently across browsers and character encodings.

How to Type the Degree Sign in Google Docs or Sheets

In Google Docs, go to Insert → Special Characters, search for "degree," and click to insert it. You can also use the same OS-level shortcuts (Option+Shift+8 on Mac, Alt+0176 on Windows) directly inside Google Docs — they generally carry through.

In Google Sheets, the same keyboard shortcuts apply. If you need the symbol frequently in formulas or data labels, a text replacement or AutoCorrect rule can save time.

The Variables That Determine Your Best Method 🖥️

No single method is universally ideal. A few factors shape which approach fits your situation:

• Device type — desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone each have different input constraints
• Keyboard layout — full keyboards with a numpad open up Alt-code shortcuts; compact laptop keyboards often don't
• Operating system — macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux each have their own built-in tools
• Application context — a code editor, word processor, browser text field, and chat app may each behave differently with the same input method
• Frequency of use — someone who types temperatures dozens of times a day will benefit from a text replacement shortcut or a custom keyboard mapping; occasional users may be fine with copy-paste
• Technical comfort level — Unicode code points and HTML entities are precise but require familiarity; built-in symbol pickers are slower but require no memorization

Someone writing technical documentation on a Windows desktop with a full keyboard has a different optimal setup than someone texting on an Android phone or embedding temperatures in a web page. The method that's frictionless for one user adds steps for another.