How to Insert a Degree Sign on Any Device or Platform

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that comes up constantly — in weather reports, cooking recipes, scientific notation, and geographic coordinates — yet it hides just outside the standard keyboard layout. Knowing where to find it saves frustration and keeps your writing looking polished and accurate.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboard layouts were designed around the most frequently typed characters in everyday writing. The degree sign falls into a category of special characters — symbols used often enough to be useful but not so frequently that they warranted a dedicated key. This means you need to access it through shortcuts, character maps, or input methods depending on your device and operating system.

The method that works best for you depends on several factors: what OS you're running, whether you're typing on a physical or touchscreen keyboard, and what software you're using when you need the symbol.

How to Insert the Degree Sign on Windows ⌨️

Windows gives you several routes to the degree symbol.

Keyboard shortcut (NumLock must be on): Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The ° symbol will appear. This only works with the number pad on the right side of full-size keyboards — the top-row number keys won't work here.

Using the Character Map: Open the Start menu, search for Character Map, find the degree sign, and copy it to your clipboard. This is slower but useful if shortcuts trip you up.

Copy-paste from the formula: In Microsoft Word, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Under the Latin-1 Supplement section, you'll find the degree sign. Word also recognizes ° if you type the Unicode value 00B0 and then press Alt + X.

Quick copy trick: Many users simply search "degree symbol" in a browser, copy it from the results, and paste it where needed. Not elegant, but it works every time.

How to Insert the Degree Sign on macOS

Mac users have a more straightforward keyboard shortcut:

Press Option + Shift + 8 to produce the ° symbol instantly. This works system-wide in virtually any text field or application.

Alternatively, open the Character Viewer by pressing Control + Command + Space. Search for "degree" and double-click the symbol to insert it. This viewer also lets you add symbols to your Favorites for faster future access.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and Android 📱

On iPhone (iOS): Open the keyboard and long-press the 0 (zero) key. A pop-up will appear showing the degree symbol — slide your finger to it and release. It inserts immediately.

On Android: The method varies slightly by keyboard app and manufacturer skin, but the most common approach is:

• Tap the ?123 key to switch to the symbols keyboard
• Long-press the 0 key — on most Android keyboards this reveals the ° symbol as a secondary option

If your keyboard doesn't offer it via long-press, switching to a third-party keyboard app like Gboard (which follows the long-press-zero method) typically solves it.

How to Insert the Degree Sign in Specific Software

In Google Docs, the Special Characters panel has a search field — typing "degree" pulls up the symbol directly, which is faster than scrolling through Unicode charts.

For HTML and web development, using ° in your markup is the proper approach rather than pasting the raw character, as it ensures consistent rendering across browsers and encodings.

Understanding Unicode and Why It Matters

The degree symbol has a fixed position in the Unicode standard: U+00B0. This is the same symbol regardless of device, operating system, or language. However, how it looks can vary slightly between fonts — some render it rounder or larger than others.

This matters when you're working across platforms. If you type the degree symbol in one application and paste it into another, the symbol itself transfers correctly as long as both environments support Unicode (which virtually all modern software does). Where issues sometimes arise is in legacy systems, older databases, or certain plain-text exports that use limited character encoding like ASCII, which doesn't include the degree symbol.

The Degree Sign vs. Similar-Looking Symbols

It's worth knowing that the degree sign (°) is sometimes confused with two other characters: 🔍

• The masculine ordinal indicator (º) — used in Spanish and Portuguese for abbreviations like "1º" (primero). Visually similar but a different Unicode character (U+00BA).
• The superscript letter O — sometimes used as a workaround but technically incorrect for expressing degrees.

Using the wrong character is a minor issue in casual writing but can create problems in scientific documents, databases, or code that parses specific Unicode values.

What Shapes the Right Method for You

The fastest and most reliable method depends on variables specific to your situation: the device you're working on, the keyboard you're using (especially whether it has a numeric keypad), the operating system version, the application you're typing in, and how often you need the symbol. A developer embedding degree signs in web code has different needs than a student typing up a geography report or a chef annotating a recipe.

The methods above cover the full landscape — but which one slots most naturally into your workflow is something only your specific setup can answer.