How to Get the Degree Symbol on Any Device

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that isn't sitting on your keyboard but comes up constantly — in temperatures, geographic coordinates, angles in geometry, and even wine descriptions. Knowing where to find it depends almost entirely on what device and operating system you're using. Here's a practical breakdown across every major platform.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Standard Keyboards

Most keyboards follow the QWERTY layout, which was designed for typewriters and later adapted for computers. That layout prioritizes letters, numbers, and the most common punctuation marks. Special characters like °, ©, and ™ were left out to keep things manageable. Instead, every major OS provides alternative input methods — some quick, some buried.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows gives you several routes depending on your workflow and how often you need it.

Method 1 — Keyboard Shortcut (NumLock required) Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row). Release Alt and ° appears. This only works if NumLock is active and you're using a keyboard with a dedicated numpad.

Method 2 — Copy from Character Map Open the Start menu, search for Character Map, find the degree symbol, and copy it. This is slow but reliable on any Windows machine.

Method 3 — Word Processors In Microsoft Word, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Filter by font and locate °. You can also assign it a custom keyboard shortcut from that same dialog.

Method 4 — Windows Touch Keyboard If you're on a touchscreen Windows device, open the touch keyboard, press and hold the 0 key — the degree symbol appears as an option above it.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

macOS makes this straightforward.

Keyboard Shortcut: Press Option + Shift + 8 simultaneously. That's it — ° appears instantly, no menus required. This works across virtually all native Mac apps and most third-party software.

If you're in a document and want to double-check, macOS also includes Character Viewer: go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols in most apps, then search "degree."

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

The iOS and iPadOS virtual keyboard hides it under the number row.

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to numbers
2. Press and hold the 0 key
3. A popup will appear with ° — slide your finger to it and release

This works in Messages, Notes, Mail, Safari address bar, and most other text fields. No settings change required.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android keyboards vary by manufacturer and the keyboard app installed (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc.), but the pattern is generally the same.

On Gboard (most common):

1. Tap ?123 to open numbers
2. Press and hold 0
3. The degree symbol appears as a pop-up option

On Samsung Keyboard: The path is similar — switch to numbers, long-press 0. Some Samsung layouts place it slightly differently depending on region settings.

If your keyboard doesn't reveal it via long-press, you can always use Google Search to look up "degree symbol," then copy and paste it from the results.

How to Insert the Degree Symbol in Google Docs and Sheets

Google Docs: Go to Insert → Special Characters, then search for "degree" in the search box. Click it to insert.

Google Sheets: There's no Insert → Special Characters menu in Sheets. Your best options:

• Copy ° from elsewhere and paste it
• Use the formula =CHAR(176) in a cell — this outputs the degree symbol using its Unicode value

Unicode and HTML: For Developers and Power Users 🖥️

If you're working in code, web pages, or markdown, knowing the underlying references saves time:

The degree symbol sits at Unicode code point U+00B0 — part of the Latin-1 Supplement block. Any modern system, browser, or font supports it without issues.

Factors That Affect Which Method Works for You

Not every method works on every setup, and a few variables determine which path is easiest:

• Keyboard type — Laptops without a numeric keypad can't use the Alt+0176 shortcut on Windows. Compact keyboards and tenkeyless layouts fall into this category.
• Operating system version — Older versions of Android or iOS may have slightly different long-press behavior, depending on when the keyboard app was last updated.
• Keyboard app — On Android especially, the installed keyboard app (not just the OS) controls what long-press menus show. A third-party app might not surface ° the same way Gboard does.
• Input language settings — Some regional keyboard layouts on Windows and Mac rearrange special characters. A French AZERTY layout, for example, reaches ° differently than a US English QWERTY layout.
• Application context — Some web-based tools or legacy software handle Unicode input differently. Pasting from clipboard is more universally reliable than keyboard shortcuts in those cases.

When Copy-Paste Is Still the Most Practical Answer

For anyone who only needs the degree symbol occasionally, copying it directly — from a search result, a document, or a reference page — is entirely reasonable. The "correct" method is simply the one that fits into your actual workflow without friction.

If you're writing code, HTML entities are cleaner than pasting raw characters. If you're on a phone, long-pressing 0 is faster than anything else. If you live in spreadsheets, =CHAR(176) might be worth memorizing. The right technique shifts depending on your device, how often you need it, and where you're typing.