How to Get the Degree Symbol on iPhone: Every Method Explained

Typing the degree symbol (°) on an iPhone is one of those small tasks that trips people up the first time — and then becomes second nature once you know where it hides. Whether you're texting a weather update, writing a recipe, or working in a notes app, here's exactly how it works.

The Fastest Method: Long-Press the Zero Key

The quickest way to type the degree symbol on an iPhone requires no settings changes or special keyboards.

Here's how:

1. Open any app with a text field (Messages, Notes, Mail, etc.)
2. Tap the text area to bring up the keyboard
3. Switch to the number keyboard by tapping the "123" key
4. Long-press the zero (0) key — hold it for about one second
5. A small popup will appear with the ° symbol
6. Slide your finger to it and release

That's it. The degree symbol inserts directly into your text. This works system-wide across iOS, in virtually every app that uses the standard Apple keyboard.

Why the Degree Symbol Lives on the Zero Key

Apple placed the degree symbol on the zero key because of logical visual association — a zero (0) and a degree symbol (°) share a circular shape. It's the same design logic behind why other hidden characters live where they do on the iOS keyboard. Long-pressing keys reveals a small family of related or visually similar characters, and the zero key's hidden character is consistently the degree symbol across all standard iOS keyboard layouts.

This behavior has been part of iOS for many years and remains consistent across iPhone models running modern versions of iOS.

Alternative Methods Worth Knowing

Copy and Paste

If you regularly need the degree symbol and don't want to navigate to the number keyboard each time, you can:

• Search "degree symbol" in Safari or any browser
• Copy the ° character from a search result
• Paste it wherever you need it

This is slower for one-off use but works if you're on an unusual keyboard layout or have accessibility settings that affect key behavior.

Text Replacement (Best for Frequent Use) 🔧

iOS has a built-in Text Replacement feature that lets you assign a shortcut to any symbol or phrase. If you type the degree symbol frequently — say, in a cooking or weather context — this is worth setting up.

To configure it:

1. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement
2. Tap the + button in the top right
3. In the Phrase field, paste the ° symbol
4. In the Shortcut field, type something like deg or *deg
5. Tap Save

Now every time you type your shortcut, iOS will automatically replace it with °. The shortcut string you choose matters — pick something unlikely to appear in normal typing to avoid unwanted autocorrections.

Third-Party Keyboards

If you use a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey, the method may differ slightly. Most third-party keyboards include a symbols or special characters panel where the degree symbol can be found, often under a "symbols" or "more" section. The long-press-on-zero method may not apply the same way depending on that keyboard's layout.

Quick Comparison of Methods

What Affects Your Experience

A few variables determine which method works best in practice:

Your default keyboard language. Most language keyboards on iOS support the long-press zero method, but the character that appears can vary by locale. English keyboards consistently show ° on zero. If you've set a non-English keyboard as your primary input, the hidden character on zero may differ or may not appear at all.

Whether you use a third-party keyboard. If you've replaced the default Apple keyboard with a third-party option, the long-press behavior changes entirely. You'll need to locate the degree symbol within that keyboard's own symbol set, or fall back to text replacement.

How often you need the symbol. For someone typing ° once a month, the long-press method is all you need. For someone writing recipes, logging temperature data, or working in scientific contexts, the text replacement shortcut eliminates friction entirely.

iOS version. While the long-press zero method has been stable across iOS versions for many years, keyboard behavior can shift with major iOS updates. If you're running a significantly older or newer version and notice something different, Apple's behavior may have changed slightly in your build.

About the ° vs º Distinction

One nuance worth knowing: there are actually two visually similar characters — the degree sign (°, Unicode U+00B0) and the ordinal indicator (º, Unicode U+00BA). 🔍

The degree sign is the correct one for temperatures and angles. The ordinal indicator is used in some languages for abbreviated ordinal numbers (like "1º" in Spanish). iOS's long-press zero typically surfaces the degree sign, but if you're working in a multilingual context or copying from external sources, it's worth confirming you've got the right character — especially if the text will be processed by software or published somewhere formatting matters.

The Gap That Remains

Which method actually makes sense for you comes down to how your keyboard is configured, which language settings you're running, how frequently you need the symbol, and whether you've already invested in third-party keyboard tools. The methods above cover the full landscape — but how they slot into your actual workflow is something only your setup can answer.