How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that almost everyone needs occasionally — when writing about temperature, geographic coordinates, angles in geometry, or even oven settings in a recipe — but it doesn't appear on any standard keyboard key. That gap between "I need this character" and "I know how to type it" trips up a surprising number of people, even experienced computer users.

Here's a clear breakdown of every reliable method, across every major platform.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow a layout designed decades ago, optimized for letters, numbers, and the punctuation marks used most frequently in everyday writing. Special characters like °, ©, ™, and £ didn't make the cut for dedicated keys — they're tucked away behind keyboard shortcuts, character maps, or input method menus.

The method you use to type ° depends primarily on your operating system, your keyboard type (full-size with numpad vs. compact/laptop), and how often you need the symbol.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows 🖥️

Windows offers several approaches, and the right one depends on your keyboard layout.

Using the Alt Code (Requires a Number Pad)

This is the fastest method if your keyboard has a dedicated numeric keypad on the right side:

1. Make sure Num Lock is on
2. Hold down the Alt key
3. Type 0176 on the numeric keypad
4. Release Alt

The ° symbol will appear wherever your cursor is placed. This won't work with the number row at the top of the keyboard — it must be the numpad.

Using the Character Map App

If you don't have a numpad:

1. Press Windows key, type Character Map, and open it
2. Search for "degree sign" in the search box
3. Click the symbol, hit Select, then Copy
4. Paste it wherever you need it

Using Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel

A faster alternative on Windows 10 and 11:

1. Press Windows key + Period (.) or Windows key + Semicolon (;)
2. Click the Ω Symbols tab
3. Browse to Supplemental Symbols or search "degree"

Copy-Paste the Symbol Directly

For occasional use, simply copy this and paste it where needed: °

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac ⌘

Mac users have one of the easiest shortcuts available:

• Press Option + Shift + 8

That's it. This works system-wide in virtually any app — text editors, browsers, email clients, spreadsheets. No setup required.

If that shortcut doesn't work (which can happen with certain third-party keyboards or custom input sources), you can also:

1. Open Edit > Special Characters from the menu bar in most apps
2. Or use System Settings > Keyboard > Character Viewer to browse and insert symbols

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

Apple's mobile keyboard doesn't show the degree symbol by default, but it's one tap away:

1. Open any text field and bring up the keyboard
2. Press and hold the zero (0) key
3. A popup will appear with the ° symbol
4. Slide your finger to it and release

This works in iOS and iPadOS without any settings changes.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

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

1. Tap the ?123 or !#1 key to switch to the symbols keyboard
2. Look for ° directly on that screen, or press and hold 0 if your keyboard supports it
3. On Gboard (Google's default keyboard), long-pressing 0 typically reveals the degree symbol

Some third-party keyboards like SwiftKey place special characters in slightly different locations, so the exact steps vary depending on which keyboard app is installed.

How to Insert the Degree Symbol in Specific Apps

Unicode and HTML: What's Actually Happening Behind the Scenes

When you type the degree symbol using any of these methods, you're inserting a specific Unicode character: U+00B0, officially named "DEGREE SIGN." Unicode is the universal standard that assigns a unique code to every character in every language and symbol set — so ° looks the same whether it's typed on a Mac, pasted into a web page, or sent in a text message.

In HTML, you can render it using ° or the numeric reference °. In most programming languages, you can reference it by its Unicode code point if you need to detect or manipulate the character in code.

The Variables That Affect Which Method Works for You

The "best" method isn't universal — it shifts based on a few factors:

• Keyboard type: Full-size keyboards with numpads open up the Alt code method. Compact or laptop keyboards typically don't have a true numpad, ruling that out.
• Operating system: Mac's Option+Shift+8 shortcut is clean and system-wide. Windows requires more steps unless you use the emoji panel. Mobile is its own world entirely.
• How often you need it: Someone writing weather data or scientific reports all day might benefit from setting up a text replacement shortcut (e.g., typing deg auto-expands to °) through their OS or a typing utility. Someone who needs it once a month is better off just copying and pasting.
• App context: A developer working in HTML, LaTeX, or a programming environment will use entirely different syntax than someone writing in a word processor.
• Keyboard language/input settings: Non-English keyboards, particularly European layouts, sometimes include ° in a different position or accessible through different modifier keys.

There's no single method that fits everyone's workflow — the right approach depends on how your system is set up and how frequently this character comes up in what you're actually doing. 🔧