How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Device
The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters you need occasionally but can never quite remember how to type. Whether you're writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, or angles, knowing where to find it — and how that changes depending on your device and OS — makes the difference between a polished document and one littered with workarounds like the letter "o" or the word "degrees."
What Is the Degree Symbol?
The degree symbol is the small superscript circle (°) used in several contexts:
- Temperature — 98.6°F or 37°C
- Angles in geometry — a 90° angle
- Geographic coordinates — 40°N latitude
- Arc measurements in astronomy and navigation
It has a dedicated Unicode code point (U+00B0) and is supported across virtually every modern font and operating system. The challenge isn't that the symbol doesn't exist — it's knowing how to access it on your specific device.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows
Windows offers several methods depending on how you prefer to work.
Using a Keyboard Shortcut (Numpad Required)
Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row number keys). Release Alt and the ° symbol appears. This only works if Num Lock is on and your keyboard has a dedicated numpad — something many laptops lack.
Using Alt Codes Without a Numpad
On laptops without a numpad, you may need to enable a virtual numpad via Fn + Num Lock, then use the embedded number keys (often mapped to letters like J, K, L, U, I, O). This varies by laptop manufacturer, so the key layout differs across devices.
Copy-Paste from Character Map
Search for Character Map in the Windows Start menu, find the degree symbol, and copy it. It's reliable but slow for repeated use.
Autocorrect or AutoText
In Microsoft Word, you can set up an AutoCorrect rule — type something like deg and have it auto-replace with °. This is device-agnostic within the app but doesn't work outside of Word.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac
Mac makes this relatively straightforward.
The standard shortcut is Option + Shift + 8, which produces the ° symbol in nearly any text field or app. It's consistent across macOS regardless of what you're typing in — a browser, a document, a terminal, or a spreadsheet.
Alternatively, you can open the Character Viewer by pressing Control + Command + Space, search "degree," and double-click to insert it. This method also works for finding related symbols like the masculine ordinal indicator (º), which looks similar but is a different character entirely.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and Android 📱
Mobile keyboards hide special characters but do include the degree symbol.
iPhone (iOS)
- Open the keyboard and tap the 123 key to switch to numbers
- Long-press the 0 (zero) key
- A pop-up will show the ° symbol — slide to it and release
Android
The process is similar but varies slightly by keyboard app:
- Switch to the numeric keyboard (tap ?123 or similar)
- Long-press 0
- Select ° from the popup options
If you're using a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey, the behavior follows the same general pattern but the key layout may look slightly different. Some keyboards require tapping into a symbols submenu (often labeled =< or #+=) before the degree symbol appears.
How to Type the Degree Symbol in Specific Apps
The method that works in one environment may not be ideal in another.
| Environment | Recommended Method |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Word (Windows) | Alt + 0176 or AutoCorrect |
| Microsoft Word (Mac) | Option + Shift + 8 |
| Google Docs (any browser) | Insert → Special Characters → search "degree" |
| Excel | Alt + 0176 or paste from Character Map |
| HTML/Web Code | Use the HTML entity ° or ° |
| LaTeX | Use degree (with gensymb package) or ^circ |
| Python/Programming | Unicode escape u00b0 or copy literal character |
In HTML, using the entity ° is preferable over pasting the raw symbol, since it guarantees correct rendering across browsers and character encodings.
A Note on Similar-Looking Symbols ⚠️
The degree symbol has two common imposters:
- Masculine ordinal indicator (º) — looks nearly identical but is used in some languages for ordinal numbers (like 1º in Spanish/Portuguese). Its Unicode is U+00BA.
- Superscript letter o (ᵒ) — a raised letter, not a true symbol.
If you're copying a degree symbol from an unknown source, it's worth confirming you have the right character (U+00B0), especially in technical documents, databases, or code where the wrong character can cause formatting or parsing errors.
The Variable That Changes Everything
How you access the degree symbol most efficiently depends on a combination of factors that only you know:
- Your device — desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone
- Your operating system — Windows version, macOS version, iOS, Android
- Your keyboard — full-size with numpad, compact laptop keyboard, virtual keyboard, external Bluetooth keyboard
- Your keyboard app on mobile — stock or third-party
- Where you're typing — a word processor, browser field, spreadsheet, code editor, or terminal
- How often you need it — occasional use favors copy-paste; frequent use favors a memorized shortcut or autocorrect rule
Someone working in a code editor all day has different needs than someone composing one temperature-related email per week. The right method for each is genuinely different.