How to Make a Degree Sign on a Keyboard (Every Platform Covered)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that isn't printed on any key, yet you need it constantly: weather reports, cooking temperatures, angles in geometry, scientific notation. Every major operating system has a way to type it. The method that works best for you depends on your device, your operating system, and how often you need the symbol.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Standard Keyboards

Standard keyboard layouts — QWERTY in particular — were designed around the most frequently used characters in written language. Symbols like ° are considered "extended" characters. They exist in every modern character set (ASCII, Unicode, UTF-8), but they're accessed through input shortcuts rather than dedicated keys.

Unicode assigns the degree symbol the code point U+00B0. That's the universal reference, and every method below is just a different route to inserting that same character.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows ⌨️

Method 1: Alt Code (Numeric Keypad) Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The ° symbol appears. This only works with a full keyboard that has a separate numeric keypad — not the number row at the top.

Method 2: Character Map Open the Start menu, search for Character Map, find the degree symbol, and copy it. Useful as a one-time fix, but not practical for regular use.

Method 3: Unicode Input (Word Processors) In Microsoft Word and some other apps, type 00B0 then press Alt + X. The code converts to the symbol in place.

Method 4: Copy and Paste The simplest universal fallback — copy ° from a search result or reference page and paste it wherever you need it.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

Option + Shift + 8 is the standard Mac shortcut and works across virtually all native macOS applications — no numpad required. It's fast, reliable, and worth memorizing if you use a Mac regularly.

Alternatively, you can use the Character Viewer:

• Go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space)
• Search for "degree"
• Double-click to insert

macOS also supports creating custom text replacements under System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements. You could set something like *deg to auto-expand to °, which is worth considering if you're typing temperature or angle values frequently.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and Android 📱

iPhone / iPad: Tap the 0 (zero) key on the numeric keyboard and hold it down. A pop-up appears with the degree symbol as one of the extended options. Slide your finger to it and release.

Android: This varies slightly by keyboard app. On Gboard (Google's default keyboard), switch to the number layout, then long-press 0. The degree symbol typically appears as an option. On Samsung keyboards, the approach is similar but the symbol may also appear under a dedicated symbols panel.

Third-party keyboard apps like SwiftKey handle this the same way — long-press zero in the numeric view.

How to Type the Degree Symbol in Specific Applications

Some contexts have their own quirks worth knowing:

Google Docs: The Mac shortcut (Option + Shift + 8) works directly. On Windows, use Insert → Special Characters, search "degree," and insert from there. The Alt code method also works if you have a numpad.

Excel and Google Sheets: The Alt code works in Excel on Windows. In formulas specifically, you can also use the CHAR(176) function, which outputs the degree symbol as a text character — useful when building dynamic strings that include temperature values.

HTML / Web Development: Use the entity ° or the numeric reference ° in your markup. Both render as °.

LaTeX: Use $^{circ}$ or the degree command if you're using the gensymb package.

The Variables That Change Which Method Works

Not every method works in every situation, and a few factors determine which approach is practical for your setup:

• Keyboard type: Laptops without a dedicated numeric keypad can't use the Alt + 0176 shortcut on Windows. This rules out the fastest Windows method for a large share of users.
• Operating system version: Older versions of Windows may handle Unicode input differently in certain apps. macOS has been consistent with Option + Shift + 8 for many years.
• Application behavior: Some apps intercept keyboard shortcuts. If a shortcut doesn't work in one program, it may work fine in another on the same machine.
• Input language settings: Non-English keyboard layouts sometimes assign special characters to different positions. If your system is set to a non-US layout, some shortcuts may conflict or behave differently.
• Frequency of use: Someone who types temperature values once a week has different needs than a scientist, engineer, or geography teacher who uses the symbol dozens of times a day.

Different Users, Different Answers

A Mac user on the latest macOS has a single, consistent shortcut that works almost everywhere — Option + Shift + 8 is essentially the complete answer for that profile. A Windows user with a desktop keyboard has the Alt code as a reliable system-wide option. A Windows laptop user without a numpad has to rely on application-specific methods or a text expansion tool like AutoHotkey or a Windows text replacement shortcut.

Mobile users are in the most consistent position across platforms — the long-press on zero works on both iOS and Android regardless of the specific device, as long as they're using a standard keyboard app.

Power users who type special characters frequently often set up text expanders (like AutoHotkey on Windows, Keyboard Maestro on Mac, or Gboard's personal dictionary on Android) to convert a short trigger string into the symbol automatically — which sidesteps the question of shortcuts entirely.

Which approach actually fits your workflow depends on what device you're on, which apps you use most, and how often the symbol comes up in your work. 🎯